Zenith. Rendering by KORB.

Milwaukee could be on the verge of seeing something it hasn’t seen in two decades: a new condominium high-rise.

While the city has seen a wave of apartment towers constructed, culminating in two more than 30-story buildings completed in 2024, the city’s supply of new housing for sale in Downtown has been effectively zero since the Great Recession.

One development firm, New Land Enterprises, is now making a big bet that the market is ready for change.

On Monday, New Land unveiled plans for Zenith, a 25-story, 226-unit tower. The building would be constructed at 711 E. Kilbourn Ave., a vacant lot across from New Land’s record-setting Ascent mass timber apartment tower.

The company, one of the leaders in Milwaukee’s prior urban condo boom that began in the 1990s, believes the market has matured, creating demand for new owner-occupied downtown housing units.

A growing demand for new condos and rising prices for existing housing have made the development financially feasible, said Tim Gokhman, New Land’s managing director, in an interview. The shift, he said, has happened dramatically over the past three years as housing prices have matched construction prices and demand for new owner-occupied housing has grown.

The building would be a “signature condo tower,” said Gokhman. It would offer amenities and building systems not found in other buildings, and at a price point New Land believes other buildings can’t match.

“It’s a luxury building, no question about it, but it is really optimized for efficiency,” said Gokhman. “With a luxury building, with this location, with these amenities, we get a pretty attainable price point.”

One-bedroom units would range from $458,000 to $655,000; two-bedroom units would range from $772,000 to $1.2 million; and penthouse units, with 1,997 to 3,670 square feet, would range from $1.8 million to $3 million.

Zenith would include an indoor/outdoor pool atop the parking podium, a sauna, an outdoor terrace with fire pits, a rooftop deck, a pet spa, a golf simulator and a two-story fitness center. Building staff would always be on site.

Some combination of the amenities can be found in many other new buildings, including Ascent, but Gokhman believes the total offering and ownership option will differentiate the building from both existing apartments and condos.

“There’s a segment of the population that has a strong preference for ownership, and right now they don’t have an option at all,” said Gokhman.

Compared to Kilbourn Tower and University Club Tower, two existing condo towers with a few dozen units each, the Zenith units would be smaller, said Gokhman, but the amenities and building systems would be better because of the number of units and the availability of modern technology. The indoor/outdoor pool with skyline and lake views, he said, would also be unmatched.

“In many respects, you’re chasing a different market,” he said of the two lakefront towers chasing only the very top of the market.

New Land hopes to presell 50% of the units before breaking ground in 2027.

Korb Architecture is leading the building’s design. A general contractor has not been named.

The tower would use a concrete design with no beams, a feature intended to make the units’ interiors more attractive to residents. “You have to be very intentional with your floor plan design,” said Gokhman of achieving the design. He said the beamless design is something prospective luxury buyers are looking for.

The choice to use concrete over mass timber, an engineered wood product that New Land believes gives Ascent an aesthetic advantage versus other apartment buildings, was deliberate to achieve the beamless design.

“Ascent is one of a kind, and it is going to be very difficult to repeat,” said Gokhman. He said the gap between mass timber construction costs and concrete construction costs are dramatic. New Land, he said, continues to look to develop mass timber buildings in other markets.

Gokhman is confident his company has the experience to handle the transition back to for-sale housing from rental housing. “You’re selling a unit to someone. That’s a very different process than renting a unit,” he said.

Falk Ruvin Gallagher is leading sales for the tower. A presale website was scheduled to launch Monday evening.

New Land has long eyed housing for the site. The site was initially rezoned in 2008 for The Bookends development, which envisioned a 19-story apartment tower on the site and a neighboring lot. That proposal did not move forward, but the special zoning designation remains.

New Land, in 2022, sought to develop a small food truck park on the site, but those plans never progressed after a license was initially requested. A zoning modification was made in 2025 to allow Ascent residents to have gardens at the site.

The last condo plan to receive zoning approval, The Fifteens at Park East, called for 15 large townhomes just north of Downtown. It was approved in 2024 and canceled in 2025. A proposal for the Haymarket area near Deer District could include condos, but plans have yet to be publicly introduced.

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2022 Site Photos

Sam Schneider at front of the field at the 2024 Centraal Bay View Classic in the Tour of America’s Dairyland. (Photo by Jeramey Jannene)

The fast-paced Tour of America’s Dairyland bicycle racing series returns to Milwaukee this week. The 11-day series features fan-friendly racing, culminating each evening in professional riders hitting speeds of approximately 35 miles per hour on short loops on city streets.

Each stop in the series is a party in and of itself, with food and beer vendors, a community hour to get out onto the course, and a professional announcer to keep first-timers and superfans alike plugged into the action.

The series formally enters Milwaukee on Thursday with the Centraal Bay View Classic and returns again on Saturday with the Café Hollander Otto Wenz Downer Classic. Many of the other days take place in nearby suburbs, including Shorewood and Wauwatosa.

Bicyclists compete in timed races, completing lap after lap on city streets. An announcer keeps the crowd informed on what’s happening, with pace cars and video display boards also tracking the races. Action picks up not just at the end of the race to determine the winner, but also in single-lap sprints (primes) with cash prizes.

The accompanying street festivals allow spectators to lean on the course walls and cheer on the racers, or sit back in a chair and enjoy a snack and beverage.

All of the races are free to attend, with larger crowds forming later in the day for the professional races. The action concludes around 8 p.m. each day, with racers recovering at host families’ homes.

A community hour is held each day, allowing children to give it their all, even if that includes training wheels, or adults to ride at their leisure. The Downer Avenue and Shorewood races also include the Dairyland Mile, a one-mile sprint for runners.

Daily events begin with amateur riders and progress to 75-minute women’s and men’s pro races. Check the schedule to make sure you’re catching the event you want to see, and monitor the action on Instagram.

If you’re watching the Downer or Shorewood races, pay attention to the extra races in 2026. ToAD is hosting the USA Cycling Masters and Junior Road National Championships. The five-day event starts on the final two days of ToAD before moving to Columbus and Fall River. A race for men age 75 and older at 1:50 p.m. on Saturday is sure to inspire all in attendance to maintain their fitness for decades to come.

More information, including a full schedule for each day, is available on the Tour of America’s Dairyland website.

Remaining Races

• June 23 — Wilo USA Cedar Creek Classic
• June 24 — Tour of Hartland
• June 25 — Centraal Bay View Classic
• June 26 — Shorewood Criterium Cycling Classic
• June 27 — Café Hollander Otto Wenz Downer Classic
• June 28 — Café Hollander Tosa Village Classic

Annie Kubes, Brian D. Litzsey, Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic and Mayor Cavalier Johnson were surrounded by kids for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Emigh Playfield. Photo taken June 22, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.

Mild weather and cloudless skies set the scene at Emigh Playfield as kids of all ages played on swings, dashed through sprinklers and spun dizzying circles on the merry-go-round at the newly renovated park at 495 E. Morgan Ave.

Representatives of Milwaukee Recreation gathered with city officials and community members Monday morning for an official ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of the project, which has been in progress since 2022.

“What you see today is the result of a shared vision,” said Annie Kubes, senior director of Milwaukee Recreation, noting that renovations were guided by community feedback. “This project reflects a significant investment in the Tippecanoe neighborhood … it’s also a powerful example of Milwaukee Recreation’s commitment to providing all members of our community with access to quality green spaces and recreation facilities.”

Features of the reimagined playfield include modern playground equipment; basketball, pickleball and tennis courts; a splash pad; painted play areas; a pump track; shaded seating; and updated lighting. The park is named for Clarence H. (Pete) Emigh, a longtime Milwaukee Public Schools employee and former assistant superintendent of recreation and adult education for the department.

“His legacy of service to our community lives on in this playfield,” Kubes said.

Emigh is the 14th park completed since 2014 as part of Milwaukee Recreation’s ongoing push to update all 52 of its playfields. Work at Emigh was completed last fall, allowing plenty of time for neighbors to experience the refresh before the official reopening.

“Just like many of the families here, I think I’ve been here with my kids over a dozen times already,” said area Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic. “And here’s what we think: It’s unbelievable. MPS and Milwaukee Rec could have just fixed something that was broken, but instead they invested in something that will pay off for generations.”

Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who’s visited the park with his own children in recent weeks, said the project will have a long-lasting effect. “This is where memories are made,” he said, as laughs and happy shrieks emanated from the playground behind him. “That sound is what it’s all about. When kids are able to go out and play and have a good time, it’ll make them have more pride in the area that they call home. That’s one of the things that we’ve been missing in our neighborhoods.”

Located at the heart of a residential neighborhood, Emigh Playfield features on-site parking and restrooms. Existing baseball, softball and soccer fields remain on the southern side of the park.

More than a dozen kids participated in the ribbon-cutting before running off to rejoin the playground games.

“This is what community is all about,” said Brian D. Litzsey, chief family, community and partnerships officer for MPS. “None of this was done in isolation. We don’t own this — this is yours … and every day you walk in this new playfield, take pride in it.”

Photos

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, at Gov. Tony Evers’ first State of the State address in Madison, Wisconsin, at the State Capitol building on Jan. 22, 2019. Emily Hamer/Wisconsin Watch

Last week was the most significant holiday of the year for Black Americans, and perhaps even more important for Milwaukee’s African American community: June 19, or Juneteenth Day. It celebrates the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved people were finally free. And Milwaukee was one of the early cities to officially recognize this with a Juneteenth celebration.

The importance of this event was signified by the U.S. Congress, which voted overwhelmingly to make this day a federal holiday, a measure signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021. The vote in the U.S. Senate was unanimous. Not even Wisconsin’s radical Republican Ron Johnson, who initially offered objections, voted against it.

The vote in the House of Representatives was 415-14, with mostly a smattering of Southern representatives voting no. Just one Midwestern member of the House opposed it: Wisconsin’s Tom Tiffany, putting him in opposition to 515 members of Congress.

“My vote reflected my belief that America has one Independence Day, and that is July 4th,” Tiffany said in a statement at the time. “Juneteenth and other historic events should be celebrated… but I do not support the premise of establishing another Independence Day when July 4th serves as a unifying moment for all Americans and reminds us of our ongoing work to build a more perfect Union.”

But Juneteenth is not “another Independence Day.” July 4 celebrates the American colonies’ independence from Britain. And while it celebrated that “all men are equal,” this most definitely did not include America’s enslaved people. They were left as property of their white owners, with no upgrade whatsoever in their rights.

Juneteenth is not a celebration of independence from another country, but of freedom from slavery after 246 years of bondage in America, including 89 years since the Declaration of Independence had been written. As the former slave and famed orator Frederick Douglas declared in an Independence Day address in 1852, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

To ask Black Americans to celebrate July 4 as their day of freedom is to ignore our Constitution, which gave no rights to enslaved people and counted them as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of giving Southern slave states more political power. It was a bloody Civil War that gave Black Americans their freedom, not the Constitution.

All of this is history Tiffany must know. If he doesn’t, he lacks the knowledge and wisdom to serve as governor. And if he does, he is offering a misleading and essentially false version of American history. Some of his other stands suggest the latter is the case.

Tiffany and Republican Rep. Scott Fitzgerald were the state’s only lawmakers voting to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory in the key swing states of Arizona and Pennsylvania. Wisconsin Republican U.S. House members Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil and Mike Gallagher all voted to affirm Biden’s election. Even Ron Johnson, an election conspiracy theorist himself, switched his vote to support the Arizona election.

Grothman condemned the attempt to overturn the election. “I am sure that James Madison and Alexander Hamilton are spinning in their graves. The idea that the President would be determined by a vote of Congress is both absurd and dangerous,” he said.

Gallagher was equally alarmed, writing a column for the conservative National Review declaring “The idea that Congress — not the people in the states — gets to choose the president and the vice president would surprise the Framers. It would stun millions of Americans.”

Tiffany claimed that “unscrupulous” officials in Dane County and Milwaukee County allowed “hundreds of thousands of illegal votes to be cast and counted,” a blatant lie that has never been proven by him or anyone else. He also said he would have voted to overturn the election in Wisconsin had Congress chosen to vote on this.

Tiffany initially offered some resistance to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, saying “violence is unacceptable,” but soon changed his tune, dismissing the House’s Jan. 6 committee hearings as an attempt “to distract the American people from the damage that’s being done to our country right now. Inflation, energy prices out of control, southern border out of control, crime.”

Tiffany has since gone on to support the Jan. 6 attempt to overthrow the government, backing the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund Trump sought to create and which could have rewarded the Capitol rioters. Tiffany embraced the fund, saying, “I would want to take a look at what was the harm that was done to those victims. If it’s significant enough, perhaps they should receive compensation.” He offered an exception only for “anyone who harmed a law enforcement official.”

Ultimately Trump faced so much opposition from Senate Republicans that he backed off on creating the fund. But had it been up to Tiffany, the Jan. 6 rioters would have been given financial awards for trying to overthrow the government. Need I add that the Founding Fathers would have been horrified at this? One of their paramount concerns was to assure the peaceful succession of one president after another.

Tiffany’s comment about Juneteenth Day was made back in 2021, but he has made no attempt to change or clarify it now that he is running for governor. Indeed, his recent comments about Trump’s anti-weaponization fund suggest his views on the 2020 election have gotten even more radical.

Tiffany has falsified our nation’s history, lied about our elections, supported attempts to overthrow an election and supported financial rewards for rioters who attempted to bring down our government. And he wants our vote to serve as governor? As Grothman once put it, America’s founders must be spinning in their graves.

Former WEDC CEO Missy Hughes. (Hughes campaign photo)

And then there were six.

Missy Hughes announced Monday that she was ending her bid for governor, shrinking the Democratic field to six candidates.

“I will always look for ways to serve, but it won’t be as governor. Today, I am suspending my campaign,” said Hughes in a statement. “As a first-time candidate, I experienced the incredible joy of receiving tremendous support from family and friends, and from people from all around the state and beyond who then also became family and friends. Thank you for everything you have done for me. In particular, I want to thank my family, my husband Tripp, and my son Harry, who both spent countless hours in the car driving me to events all over the state, and made sure I ate and laughed. My campaign team did an amazing job, with patience and grace extended to a candidate not willing to bend to the political games needed to grab a headline. I will count my blessings every day for the remarkable adventure this journey has been.”

Hughes was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers to lead the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in 2019 and held the position until she resigned last September to run for governor.

She immediately endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.

“Sara is someone who has chosen difficult missions, as a Peace Corps volunteer, an emergency room nurse and a CDC intelligence officer. She has repeatedly placed herself in environments that are uncomfortable, unpredictable and uncertain. In those places, Sara led teams and communities and brought them together. I trust that she will do that as governor, and that she will do it well,” said Hughes.

The most recent Marquette University Law School poll, from April, had Hughes ranked seventh with 1% of respondents who said they were Democratic primary voters indicating they would vote for Hughes.

Rodriguez was ranked fourth in the poll, with 3%. Adding Hughes’ share would push Rodriguez to third, ahead of David Crowley. Francesca Hong was in first with 14%, and Mandela Barnes was in second with 11%. Sixty-five percent of respondents said they hadn’t decided who they were voting for.

The unscientific straw poll at the 2026 Democratic Party of Wisconsin convention had Rodriguez in first with 164 of the 597 ballots cast. Hughes was last with 10 votes.

State Sen. Kelda Roys and another fellow Evers appointee, former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, are also running.

All seven candidates qualified for the ballot by the June 1 filing deadline.

Hughes’ withdrawal comes before a July 15 campaign finance filing deadline. Her campaign will still be required to disclose its donors and expenses. She raised almost $500,000 in the prior period, with 49% coming from big or max donors.

Brennan and Roys recently launched advertising campaigns to bolster their campaigns. Barnes has substantial name recognition from his 2022 senate run and previously serving as the lieutenant governor. Hong has the most visible on-the-ground campaign, with canvassers and yard signs popping up in many cities.

An Aug. 11 partisan primary will narrow the field to a single Democrat in advance of the Nov. 3 general election.

Rep. Tom Tiffany is widely expected to win the Republican primary but faces a challenge from Andy Manske. The Republican Party of Wisconsin endorsed the Tiffany campaign at its recent convention.

Evers has served as governor since 2019 but announced his decision in 2025 not to run for a third term.

“My job is not done and the fight is not over. We need to keep a Democrat in the governor’s office and we cannot rest. And on Nov. 3 we can elect the first daughter, sister, mother, wife and nurse to be governor of our great state,” said Hughes.

Prior to her WEDC appointment, Hughes, of Viroqua, served as an executive at the Organic Valley dairy cooperative for 17 years.

Josh Kaul and Eric Toney.

The Nov. 3 election may be months away, but the campaign for attorney general — between two-term incumbent Democrat Josh Kaul and Republican Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac County district attorney who got 49% of the vote against Kaul four years ago — has already begun.

“Do you want a ‘yes man’ for Donald Trump in the attorney general’s office?” Kaul asked Democrats at their state convention. “That’s the last thing we need.”

Meanwhile, Toney told Republicans at their convention that “Josh Kaul has become everything people hate about politics, It’s time we have an attorney general that will proudly stand with our law enforcement.”

Toney, whose father was a police officer for more than 30 years, said his experience prosecuting murder, domestic abuse, kidnapping, and crimes committed by illegal immigrants qualifies him to be attorney general.

The attorney general heads the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which has about 750 employees and an annual budget of $216 million. It investigates major crimes, operates the state crime lab, represents state agencies in court and has offices of victim services, school safety, and public records and open government meetings.

With the approval of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Kaul said he joined with other Democratic attorneys general to file “more than 50 multistate cases against the Trump administration [with] significant success.” Kaul said he joined suits against Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship and his agencies’ attempts to dismantle public health, clean energy, disaster relief and other programs.

“As your attorney general, it has been my honor to fight back when they are breaking the law,” Kaul said. “I haven’t gotten sick of beating the Trump administration yet.”

President Trump “simply has not been on the side of working families,” Kaul said. “He has looked out for the ultrawealthy. He signed into law tax cuts that provided massive benefits for the wealthy.”

At the Republican convention, Toney didn’t mention Trump — whose statewide approval rating in the most recent Marquette University Law School poll was 38% — by name.

Instead, Toney said Kaul has filed “lawsuit after lawsuit — driving resources away from public safety to push a radical, left-wing agenda.” Kaul broke his preelection promise to not be “too political,” the Republican said.

If elected, Toney vowed that his Justice Department would be a “firewall” against the “liberal supermajority” on the state Supreme Court and the “left-wing agenda that so many — including Josh Kaul — are pushing here in Wisconsin. … I will put public safety over politics.”

Toney said another Kaul “broken promise” is failing to fight the fentanyl and heroin epidemic. “He’s ignored the border crisis of fentanyl, methamphetamine pouring into the United States and here in Wisconsin.”

The state crime lab Kaul oversees is “taking over twice as long” to test DNA samples that prosecutors rely on to solve crimes, Toney said.

But Kaul claimed success in fighting the opioid epidemic, citing what he said was a drop of “more than 40%” in Wisconsin’s opioid-related deaths between 2023 and 2024. “That is saving the lives of hundreds of Wisconsinites.”

Kaul said he joined national lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors that resulted in “the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars” from those businesses. That has given local communities statewide “significant resources to help fight that epidemic,” the Democrat added.

Kaul said his Justice Department started a “sexual assault kit tracking system” that puts new emphasis on those crimes, fought to strengthen the Office of School Safety and pushed for more resources for crime victims.

“Eric Toney will not stand up to special interests like I have,” Kaul said. “He certainly won’t stand up to Donald Trump like I have.”

The two also traded allegations on their opponent’s record on transgender rights and abortion.

Toney said Kaul refused “to stand up for families in New Richmond to protect girls’ bathrooms and space.” If elected, Toney said he would “stand up for girls and women and protect their spaces in their bathrooms here in Wisconsin.”

Kaul said he successfully sued to stop an 1848 law banning abortions from being enforced after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the procedure was not constitutionally protected. Toney opposed Kaul’s lawsuit to stop the 1848 law from taking effect, Kaul said.

The race for attorney general is expected to again be very close. In 2022, Kaul won by just 35,000 votes out of 2.6 million cast, with Evers at the top of the ticket. But Evers is not running again.

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com.

The Columbia Energy Center in Pardeeville is expected to receive $19 million from the Trump administration to “modernize” despite initial plans for the plant to be retired in 2024. (Photos courtesy of Alliant Energy, John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout | Illustration by Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner)

A Columbia County coal plant previously slated for retirement that is expected to receive millions of dollars from the Trump administration to “modernize” its operations dramatically increased its pollutant emissions in 2025.

Columbia Energy Center in Pardeeville is jointly owned by Alliant Energy, Madison Gas & Electric and Wisconsin Public Service and was initially set to close by the end of 2024. But that retirement was pushed back first to 2026 and then to 2029.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration listed the plant as one of the beneficiaries of more than $700 million in spending to prop up the coal industry. The plant is expected to get $19 million through funding from the Defense Production Act.

“Our action will allow these facilities to invest in upgrades that will extend their operational lives for decades into the future, reinforce the reliability of our electric grid, which is really the biggest beneficiary, and most importantly, keep electricity prices very low for the American people,” Trump said in a June 4 Oval Office news conference.

Department of Natural Resources records show that the pollution emitted by the plant massively increased last year — a sign that the utility companies were ramping up the plant’s usage beyond its planned retirement date.

In 2024, according to the DNR data, the plant emitted 3.9 million pounds of carbon monoxide. That jumped to 6.6 million pounds last year. Carbon dioxide emissions increased from 11 billion pounds in 2024 to 14 billion in 2025.

Emissions of particulate matter, which is connected to health problems such as asthma, nearly doubled from 362,833 pounds to 685,876.

The amount of nitrogen oxide, ammonia, lead, arsenic and cyanide pumped into the air by the plant all increased last year, the DNR report shows.

Alliant Energy spokesperson Cindy Tomlinson told the Examiner that the plant’s life had to be extended to meet the midwest’s energy demand.

“In recent years, to meet MISO requirements and the energy needs of the Midwest, the plant has run more frequently, however it continues to operate in the normal range and in full compliance with the air permit requirements,” she said. “Our application and the potential $19 million grant award, provides us with an opportunity to cost-effectively modernize Columbia — an existing cornerstone in the American energy infrastructure. If awarded the grant, funds would be used to lower costs on several planned projects that are designed to maintain reliable and safe operations at the plant.”

But climate and health advocates say that the utility companies’ refusal to transition away from fossil fuels, and the Trump administration’s embrace of the industry will have dramatic effects on the health of Wisconsinites.

“Coal makes us sick, coal kills people, coal poisons our water, coal causes so much harm that is so well documented that it is almost unthinkable that in 2026 our government would use our taxpayer dollars to continue with this technology,” Brittany Keyes, clean air policy manager for Healthy Climate Wisconsin, said. “There’s no such thing as clean coal, and the utilities running with our taxpayer dollars to continue to burn coal longer is taking Wisconsin backwards.”

Modeling data from the EPA shows that shutting down the plant would result in 2,600 fewer asthma attacks, 1,200 fewer missed school days, and at least four fewer premature deaths statewide each year.

Amy Barrilleaux, spokesperson for Clean Wisconsin, says that the state and its utilities are making that health tradeoff even though the coal needs to be imported from elsewhere.

“I think Wisconsinites know we don’t have coal here. We have to get coal shipped in or trained into Wisconsin,” Barrilleaux said. “It’s extremely expensive, so we have the extreme expense on the front end. Wisconsinites are being asked to foot the bill to keep expensive coal plants open, because of AI. Because the Trump administration says we need to support all the energy demands that are needed by tech companies. Then at the same time you have this giveaway potentially to fossil fuel companies saying, ‘Well, we’re gonna, you know, make it really hard, as hard as possible,’ to have clean energy that we do make in Wisconsin. We do have sunshine, we do have wind.”

The plant’s life has been extended at a moment when the future of Wisconsin’s energy is at the forefront of the state’s political debate. The massive energy demand of the hyperscale data centers being constructed across the state and the rise in electric bills that have followed have drawn frustration from voters across the political aisle.

The state’s Republicans are running on a desire to continue the reliance on fossil fuels. When Trump appeared at an Eau Claire dairy farm for an event earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, running for reelection in the hotly contested 3rd Congressional District, touted the president’s support of “beautiful, clean coal.” U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, has for years fought against the development of solar energy in his northern Wisconsin district.

Democrats meanwhile are running on lowering energy costs. State Rep. Francesca Hong has run on a statewide data center moratorium while former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has promised to appoint people to the Public Service Commission who will work to keep utility rates frozen.

Barrilleaux said the state would be less susceptible to outside influence on its energy policy if it enacted “integrated resource management,” a system used in other states that requires public utilities to get their future plans approved and publicized by state regulators.

“Wisconsin does not have to be hurt by these mandates coming down from the Trump administration, these rolling back of regulations,” she said. “If our utilities had just gone ahead and kept their word and shut down the coal plants when they said they would, we wouldn’t have to be having a conversation like this right now, so we could have protected ourselves from this moment, and we still can, like other states.”

She said Wisconsin needs lawmakers who are willing to stand up to the utility companies.

“Wisconsin does not have to be as vulnerable as it is to both this Wild West of energy plans that we’re in right now, and to the whims of whoever is in the presidency, we don’t have to be hurt by the way we produce energy, we don’t have to be in this situation,” she said.

Emissions of Trump-supported Columbia Co. coal plant jumped in 2025 was originally published by Wisconsin Examiner.

Salute Mexican Restaurant in Egg Harbor is one of several businesses owned by Kim Jensen. It’s facing short staffing after it didn’t get as many workers as it anticipated through a visa program. Photo courtesy of Kim Jensen

Kim Jensen owns several businesses in Egg Harbor, including a cafe, an Italian restaurant and a Mexican restaurant.

To meet staffing demands during Door County’s busy summer tourism season, she brings in seasonal employees through a visa program that allows her to hire experienced foreign workers for up to nine months.

Out of the 20 H-2B workers Jensen was expecting this year, only four have arrived. She said she’s hopeful six more could come by mid-July.

That’s left her businesses short staffed as the summer season kicks off, forcing her to make changes to how the restaurants operate and to call on employees to work double shifts.

She says the stress is mounting.

“We just went through a pandemic, and we finally made money last year, and now we’re just going backwards again,” Jensen said. “And I’m not the only entrepreneur, small business person, up here going through this.”

Businesses in Door County say they are facing staffing challenges because many of the international workers they rely on for help through the summer season haven’t arrived this year.

Employers say federal processing delays for H-2B visas — and the lottery process used to distribute the visas — have delayed or prevented some workers from coming, leaving them wondering if they’ll get the workers they need this summer.

The H-2B program allows companies to bring foreign workers into the country to fill non-agricultural jobs. The program has a statutory cap of 66,000 visas each fiscal year.

Glenn Mandel, an immigration attorney from Door County who specializes in business immigration law, said workers participating in the program generally work in Wisconsin for around nine months. That’s longer than the three to four-month period for workers who come to the country through the J-1 cultural exchange visa program.

Federal data shows the number of H-2B workers approved for jobs in Wisconsin fell from more than 1,200 in 2024 to around 680 in 2025 and around 170 so far this year.

Wisconsin also saw the number of J-1 exchange visitors decline from 2024 to 2025 from more than 9,900 to more than 9,600.

Mandel said Door County businesses began leaning on the H-2B program to fill jobs catering to the flood of tourists that visit the area each summer.

“Door County has approximately 2.5 million visitors per year, and there are 30,000 year-round residents in Door County,” Mandel said, saying many of those residents are children or retirees. “There’s nowhere near enough workers living here in the county that are able to fill all of the positions needed.”

Villaggios Italian Steakhouse in Egg Harbor is seen here. Photo courtesy of Kim Jensen

This year, he says long processing delays, bureaucratic errors and limits on the number of workers coming through the H-2B visa system are creating major uncertainty for area businesses.

Mandel said approvals that previously took two to three weeks are now stretching into two to three months.

He also said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, under the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department both need to approve an H-2B worker coming into the country. He said bottlenecks at both agencies are contributing to the delays.

“That has made it more challenging for Door County employers,” Mandel said. “It’s increased the level of uncertainty as to how many people they’re going to get, when they’re going to get them and then how to fill in the gaps when they don’t have those people available.”

Jon Jarosh, interim president and CEO for Destination Door County, said labor force challenges aren’t new for the region, and other destination communities across the state.

“The workforce needs, especially in our peak season, just are substantial, and we just don’t have the local workforce to fill those jobs,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why so many of our businesses have had to look to alternatives.”

Village Cafe in Egg Harbor is owned by Kim Jensen. She says her businesses are short staffed to begin the summer. Photo courtesy of Kim Jensen

Federal lawmakers: Visa delays impacting seasonal businesses across the country

The issue isn’t limited to Door County.

A bipartisan group of 16 members of Congress sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on June 2, saying seasonal businesses in their districts were experiencing processing delays that were preventing the arrival of H-2B workers.

No members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation signed the letter.

The federal lawmakers wrote that businesses across the country are “suffering severe economic harm due to the unavailability of critical H-2B employees.”

They cited a survey of seasonal businesses in 30 states that showed 58 percent expected their H-2B workers to arrive one month late and 29 percent expected delays of more than two months.

“This is catastrophic for U.S. employers who take deliberate care to properly follow the rules and employ a legal workforce,” the letter reads. “American businesses are being forced to turn away customers, cancel or delay contracts, reduce services, and raise prices. Action must be taken to address these delays.”

A State Department spokesperson said the Trump administration recognizes that H-2B temporary workers provide American businesses significant labor that supports local economies across the country.

The spokesperson said they are working with the Department of Labor and Homeland Security to ensure “expeditious” processing of visas while “devoting the time necessary to complete thorough vetting and assess each applicant’s eligibility.”

Labor impact uneven across Wisconsin tourism communities

While the H-2B delays have been a strain on some tourism-centric communities, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau said there haven’t been workforce issues there. He said the Dells’ foreign workers primarily come on J-1 visas and not H-2Bs.

Mandel said the Wisconsin Dells has a shorter peak tourism season than Door County, so the J-1 visas are a better fit there.

“If you’ve got a four month season, and a J-1 worker is basically here for three to four months, you’re pretty much good with your J-1 workers,” he said. “But if you’ve got an eight (or) nine month season … then the only way to fill the front end of the season and the back end of the season is with H-2B workers.”

Kaaren Northrop, owner of Main Street Market in Egg Harbor, said even when the H-2B program isn’t facing processing delays, it’s still nearly impossible for businesses to plan their staffing for the summer season.

That’s because of the 66,000 cap on H-2B visas each year, and the lottery system used to determine which applications get reviewed first.

“There’s no consideration for people following the rules and doing everything the right way,” Northrop said. “You’re still tossed in this lottery system, which is just crazy. There’s not a lot of businesses that can operate wondering if you’re going to get your people or not.”

This year, she hoped to bring seven workers through the program, but isn’t going to receive any. She said she was able to fill some of the gap by hiring workers already in the U.S. on visas, but the store opened its extended summer hours later in the season than normal.

“It is virtually impossible to hire to fill all your jobs for the whole entire season without bringing people in from somewhere else,” she said.

Changes could be coming to the program that could help businesses that rely on foreign workers.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee included language in the 2027 Homeland Security appropriations bill that would exempt employers certified for H-2B workers for five years from counting toward the annual visa cap. It would allow those employers to hire the highest number of workers previously certified without counting toward the cap.

That change still needs to be approved by the Senate and signed into law.

Northrop said she’d like to see federal lawmakers take action to make it easier for businesses to hire foreign workers.

“There are real live small businesses in this country who cannot function without these visa programs,” Northrop said.

Work visa issues leave Door County businesses short staffed for summer season was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

The Agaski Bluff in southern Wisconsin was acquired by The Prairie Enthusiasts in December 2024. The 38-acre site is home to Wisconsin’s largest population of the state-endangered pale false foxglove. Photo courtesy of The Prairie Enthusiasts

Both Republican and Democratic candidates for governor are pledging support for a stewardship program set to end this month after protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Wisconsin.

The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program will expire June 30 because Republican and Democratic lawmakers couldn’t agree on reauthorization terms. The program has been used to purchase public lands for conservation since 1989, protecting around 750,000 acres statewide.

Candidates in the crowded field for Wisconsin governor are vowing to bring Knowles-Nelson back — but their past votes and statements present a more complicated picture.

Four Democrats in the race voted against state budgets that reauthorized the program when they were state legislators. And Republican Tom Tiffany voted to extend the program as a state senator despite objecting to several land purchases and co-writing an editorial seven years ago suggesting the program “in its current form, has run its course.”

In his 2021 state budget proposal, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called for a 10-year, $700 million extension of the Knowles-Nelson program. But Republicans stripped that down and landed on an additional $32 million to spend on land purchases through the end of June 2026. At the time, state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, state Sen. Kelda Roys, and then-state Rep. Sara Rodriguez voted against the budget, along with most of their Democratic colleagues.

In a statement to WPR, Hong said she voted against the budget, in part, because it didn’t increase general public school aid and failed to expand BadgerCare health insurance coverage options.“The Stewardship Program was one good provision, but it was buried inside a budget that fell far short of what working families needed,” said Hong.

With the program expiring next week, Hong said the Stewardship Program is part of what makes Wisconsin great and has bipartisan support, “but Republicans refuse to fund it.”

“I co-sponsored legislation reauthorizing the program, and as governor ,I’ll fight to fully fund it with no caps on project size and an independent board to end anonymous vetoes from legislators,” Hong said.

Rodriguez, now lieutenant governor, said she’s fought for “full, sustainable funding for this program.” In a statement, she said her 2021 vote against the budget that included stewardship program was focused on Republican moves to strip out funding for public education and a BadgerCare expansion.

In an interview with WPR, Rodriguez hailed the Stewardship Program for protecting lakes and lands for generations and said letting it expire is a serious mistake. She said Democrats need to flip GOP majorities and win the governor’s race to restore the program. Rodriguez also attacked Tiffany’s critical comments about the program and land purchases in the past.

“We know that we’ve got a huge outdoor recreation tourism economy in the state of Wisconsin. And it really says a lot about Tom Tiffany that he has been a vocal critic of funding this program when his own business has benefited from it,” said Rodriguez.

Despite calling to pause land purchases, Tiffany voted twice to extend program

Tiffany has long been critical about land purchases under the stewardship program, but vowed in a statement to WPR  to keep it going with new conditions.

The business benefit Rodriguez referred to ties back to Tiffany’s time running boat tours on the Willow River Flowage reservoir in Oneida County, which benefited from millions of dollars on land purchase with Knowles-Nelson funds, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article from 2015.

That year, Tiffany voiced support for former Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal in the state budget to freeze the stewardship fund, but stripped the provision as member of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

In 2019, Tiffany wrote an editorial with former State Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, claiming the Knowles-Nelson program had grown beyond its means by accumulating too much land and “staggering debt.” They said the state land projects also pulled property off state and local tax rolls.

“The program, in its current form, has run its course,” the editorial proclaimed.

Still, Tiffany voted for the state budget in 2019, which extended the program through 2022. Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who was in the state Assembly in 2019, voted against the budget and the four-year extension.

In a statement to WPR about its pending expiration, Tiffany vowed to reauthorize Knowles-Nelson if elected governor.

“I will continue Knowles Nelson with a renewed focus on maintaining the lands we already own for future generations, while being fiscally responsible with the more than $500 million in outstanding debt taxpayers still owe,” said Tiffany.

A statement from Crowley’s campaign said he’s always supported a quick reauthorization, but would explore “a more durable funding structure” providing steady support amidst political gridlock.

Roys told WPR it’s a tragedy “Republicans have finally succeeded in killing the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program,” and one of the first things she’ll do as governor is “pass emergency funding” to get it back online in January. She said Republicans will regret their opposition to the popular program.

“I think they’re going to feel it at the ballot box when voters punish them and say, ‘Hey, you took away this really important program for us, and we want to make sure you reauthorize it,’” Roys said.

Neither Roys’ or Crowley’s campaigns immediately responded to a follow-up request for comment on their 2021 vote against the budget authorizing the Stewardship Program in its current form.

Three other Democrats running for governor also vowed to resume the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Programs if elected, via statements sent to WPR.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said he would restore it with “permanent funding and keep Wisconsin’s public lands free for all Wisconsinites.” Former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan said around 90 percent of Wisconsin residents live within a mile of land conserved by the fund. And former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes called it “shameful” that Republicans defunded the program, and said she’s committed to restoring the funding “on my first day in office” as governor.

Candidates for governor vow to revive land conservation program was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Site of Dead Bird Brewing, 1726 Dr. William Finlayson Dr. Photo taken September 18th, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene.

Join us for an Urban Milwaukee members-only beer bash. Our next stop on the 2026 edition of the free event series (RSVP required) takes us to Dead Bird Brewing.

Come and enjoy a pint and chat with some of your favorite journalists and fellow Urban Milwaukee members.

Dead Bird Brewing was founded in 2015 in Madison, and in 2019 it found it its way to its new home in Milwaukee.

Owner Nick Kocis strives to minimizing the brewery’s carbon footprint with energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, recycling and composting.

Part of the drive for sustainability is why Dead Bird Brewing Company is Wisconsin’s only all-vegan brewery, because a vegan diet can reduce an individual’s food-related carbon footprint by up to 73%.

The brewery offers a variety of food options, including homemade pizzas, soft pretzels, famous nachos, and more.

And about that name? There’s a story there, which surely the staff at Dead Bird will tell during the tour.

Urban Milwaukee members are invited to a Dead Bird Brewing Beer Bash on Friday, June 26 starting at 5:30 p.m. An RSVP is required as space is limited.

Members can bring one guest, but must request an additional ticket when reserving their spot. The team at Dead Bird Brewing Company will lead Urban Milwaukee members through guided tasting tours – which will include free beer samples and conversation on the specific beers and some brewery history. This tour will last about thirty minutes, and questions and comments are welcomed.

The event is planned to reward Urban Milwaukee’s loyal members and create an easy-going way for our staff and writers and readers and supporters to get together to try multiple tasty beers in a classic city neighborhood. Here’s the rundown: arrive at 5:30 p.m., join the first tour at 6:15 p.m. or the second at 6:45 p.m., sample some beer and enjoy your favorite beers and convivial conversation for the rest of the night.

We’d love to have a locally-made craft beer with you. Oh, and if you’re looking to chat less, but enjoy the beer? That’s great, too. There are 50 plus arcade and board games in the taproom, so come for a beer and stay for a game or two. Dead Bird Brewing Company is located at 1726 Dr. William Finlayson Dr. in Milwaukee.

So, RSVP today.

Not a Member, But Still Want to Come?

Urban Milwaukee offers the city’s most robust membership program, with many perks such as this one. By becoming a member, not only will you help support Urban Milwaukee’s journalism, but you’ll help us continue to grow our publication, which publishes more than 75 stories and 100 press releases per week.

This event is only one of the great perks you get by becoming an Urban Milwaukee member. Here are just a few others:

• Completely ad-free content on our website and a configurable email newsletter
• Bypass the paywall and get access to all Urban Milwaukee stories
• Free access to News Bulletins with insider scoops of interest to anyone following the Milwaukee scene.
• A chance to provide the support that assures Urban Milwaukee can continue focusing on smart, substantive news coverage rather than clickbait
• Free tickets to concerts, festivals, and other great events as they become available through our partners
• A 10% discount on all merchandise at Urban Milwaukee: The Store
• The ability to comment on articles
• A faster photo browser

We’d love to have you join us. Simply sign-up to become a member for just $9/month or $99 per year and you will immediately be able to reserve your Beer Bash tickets.

Cecilia ‘The Queen’ Gilbert Honorary Street Name. Photo courtesy of Rockstar Design.

A posthumous honor was granted to Cecilia Gilbert, a City Hall fixture for decades, when more than 200 of her family, friends and former colleagues gathered at the southwest corner of Cathedral Square Park as a new street sign was unveiled on this block of E. Wells St.

All eyes looked aloft as it was unveiled. In white letters set in an American flag blue background, it reads:

HONORARY

Cecilia “The Queen” Gilbert

It hangs beneath the official “E Wells St” sign.

It was a fitting tribute to Gilbert, a city employee for 41 years, who died in August 2024 at 75. She was given her royal nickname in 1991, when a fellow worker marveled at the vast empire of civil servants who found themselves within her sphere of influence.

Gad, did she have the power! I first witnessed it in 1990, when she was tasked with managing event permits for the city, ranging from block parties to parades. That was the year Hollywood came to town to film a TV movie about John Dillinger. Her job was to transform the ’90s Third Ward of Milwaukee into Depression-era Chicago. Advertising murals were painted on the blank walls of buildings, cables, cameras, lights, camera — action! All under the command of the Queen. It was a lousy movie but a great example of a municipal government functioning efficiently and with a distinct personality.

Just to keep her busy, her bosses put her on storm alert. When a blizzard was on its way, Cecilia would be on the phone at 5 a.m. with TV weather reporters, outlining the city’s plowing strategy.

Cecilia Gilbert. Photo by Dan Bishop. Courtesy of Rockstar Design.

The Royal Garden Party

The ceremony for Gilbert began at 5 p.m. under sunny skies and perfectly delightful conditions. It was organized by Cathedral Square Friends. Guests were greeted by Carl and Ellen Baehr; a framed mayoral proclamation sat between the two, who are rarely that far apart from each other.  Carl’s book Milwaukee Streets: The Stories Behind Their Names, revised in 2025, lists 47 such honorary street names since the program’s inception in 2005. Since the book’s publication, an additional eight street names, including Gilbert’s, have been added. This man’s work will never be done.

Once checked in, guests mingled in the corner of the park in a lovely area set apart with little white domes, star-shaped seating arrays and elegant buffet tables set with fresh garden flowers. Here, a delicious buffet of Mexican food from Electric Lime would be served following the festivities. Beyond, The Hop streetcar disgorged passengers gathering for Jazz in the Park, the concert series which that evening was to feature a tribute to Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. Earlier that day, the Obama Center opened in Chicago with a joyous celebration. The release of Salah Sarsour from ICE detention was hailed by Rep. Gwen Moore and tomorrow marked Milwaukee’s 55th annual celebration of Juneteenth Day, featuring a parade once organized in part by Cecilia. The stars aligned.

The Program

The Welcome was delivered by Dave Reid, the board president of Cathedral Square Friends and publisher and co-founder of Urban Milwaukee. He attested to the suitability of the sign’s location where it could be easily seen by patrons of Taylor’s, for it was at that corner bar that he first met Cecilia, soon to become a member of her court. A tribute was given by Tracy Stockwell, professor of communication and technology at Alverno College, and was to be followed by remarks from Oscar Tovar of the Mayor’s office, but he was scratched at the last moment, and Mayor Cavalier Johnson himself made an appearance and speech.

Other speakers included area Alderman Robert Bauman, who noted that he had known Cecilia, a constituent, since his election in 2004. Tamara Sherie Mays, a niece, gave a tribute on behalf of the family. The official program concluded with words from County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman.

Then, with the tug of a rope, the new sign was unveiled. Reid announced the party’s commencement, holding aloft a giant martini glass. Extra honorary signs were presented to the family. The printed programs concluded with this thought: “May Cecilia’s legacy continue to inspire all who pass this way. And all who call Milwaukee home.”

Dave Reid and Richard Gilbert. Photo courtesy of Rockstar Design.

The Gang’s All Here

In the early days of the Queen’s reign, it was the custom for the City Hall crowd to gather at Rosie’s on Water after work, but the opening of Taylor’s in 1995 drew those who still liked to hang out, especially in the presence of her majesty. Although she was not there, her spirit was everywhere in the audience.

For an event of this stature, one mayor is not enough, so Ambassador Tom Barrett made the journey from his chancery on the West Side. I asked him about his time in Luxembourg. Did he have a German or a French chef? “French,” he replied. “And we liked it very much.” This from a guy who used to eat lunch at his desk!

The ebullient Beth Weirick, former head of the Downtown Milwaukee BID 21, delighted in seeing old friends, as did Kimberly Montgomery, a former lobbyist for the city and a close friend of Gilbert’s, who traveled from Nashville, where she takes care of her 92-year-old mother, although she still has family here. Dan McCarthy was there. He and Cecilia worked on numerous Department of City Development projects over the years. Daniel Taylor posed for a photo with his eponymous tavern in the background. Mariiana Tzotcheva, back from Bulgaria, kept Reid on track during the proceedings.

During the Dillinger era, I talked with Cecilia about her professional career. Sure, she knew everybody in City Hall, but she also had to deal with block party organizers, parade sponsors and Hollywood producers, who did not know her yet were served so efficiently.

I wondered how her first interactions with these outsiders went. How many thought she got her job just because she was Black?

“I think most of them,” she replied. My heart sank. That was the way things were, when affirmative action was often derided by conservatives, blinded to merit.

I told this tale to the current mayor.

“That was back then?” the mayor inquired. (Johnson was four at the time.)

“Yes, your honor, that was back then.”

Photo Gallery

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A person walks past a school bus decorated for the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19.

Marching bands, dance teams, vendors, and local and state leaders filled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Friday, June 19, for Milwaukee’s 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade.

This year’s event continued traditions with a parade that began on West Atkinson Avenue and ended with a celebration on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The community gathered there for food, entertainment, community resources and fellowship.

Gov. Tony Evers shakes hands with attendees during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade.

Gov. Tony Evers shakes hands with attendees during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade.

Northcott Neighborhood House organized the event.

Northcott Neighborhood House is a longstanding social service and community development organization on Milwaukee’s North Side that provides workforce development, youth programming and housing assistance.

A dog watches as the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade goes down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

A dog watches as the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade goes down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

The celebration, which began in 1971, is one of the nation’s longest-running Juneteenth observances and draws large crowds each year to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and to celebrate Black culture, history and community.

People dance during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

People with MATC walk through the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Hundreds of attendees shop during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A child rides on an amusement ride during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

A performer dances during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

The Juneteenth bus drives down the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A child gets their face painted during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A drum line performs during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

People with the Milwaukee Bucks walk during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Children get handed bubbles during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / )

Onions rings fry in a pot during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A Milwaukee firefighter rides on top of a firetruck during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Gee Smith, owner of Gee’s Clippers, shakes hands with a person during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Attendees watch as the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade passes by on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A performer dances during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person rides a bus during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person holds a container of fried fish and French fries during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Children ride in a wagon during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Attendees get candy during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Imani Raiyne, founder of Kreative Fruitz, waves to the crowd during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person works on a mural during the TRUE Skool Juneteenth mural contest during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A drum line performs during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

An attendee wears gold painted boots during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Performers dance during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

People wave from a car during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / Catchlight Local)

Performers with Drums Up Guns Down 414 perform during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Children watch as performers dance during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A dance team prepares before the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A drum line performs during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A participant of the parade dances during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Participants ride horses during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / Catchlight Local)

A child drinks a beverage during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Drummers perform during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

An artist works on a mural during the TRUE Skool Juneteenth mural contest during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Performers dance during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Children ride on an amusement ride during 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A performer drums during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person takes corn off the grill during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A child watches as a firetruck drives by during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person hula-hoops down the street during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person holds up beaded necklaces during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A participant of the parade hands out candy to attendees during the 55th Juneteenth Jubilee Parade on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

A group of about 12 Wisconsinites gathered on the corner of E. Dayton and N. Blount Street, near a white house that belongs to the Hill family early Thursday evening. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Madison’s Black community more than a century ago was concentrated in a neighborhood just blocks from the Capitol, where business owners, church leaders and civil rights advocates built institutions that helped shape the city.

On Thursday evening, participants in a Wisconsin Historical Society walking tour retraced that history, stopping at homes and businesses tied to Black Madisonians.

A group of about 12 Wisconsinites gathered on the corner of E. Dayton and N. Blount Street, near a white house that belongs to the Hill family early Thursday evening.

Jenny Peterson of the Historical Society led the tour.

“We know from Census records and data that African-Americans have lived in the county as long as Europeans have since before the Civil War,” Peterson said. Dane County’s early Black residents included free and enslaved individuals. “There were African-American men, women and children that were settled in the community and after the Civil War, they experienced many of the increasing freedoms.”

In 1910, there were about 143 Black people residing in Madison and Peterson said that 19 out of the 39 Black households in Madison lived in the neighborhood near East Dayton Street.

Peterson said that area of town was accessible for Black families looking to establish themselves in Madison.

The water in the area was swampy,  Peterson said. “The prices were a little bit cheaper,” which made it possible for African-American families and other groups with few resources to settle the area.

John and Amanda Hill moved to Madison from Atlanta in 1910 and bought a grocery store on Dayton Street that served the neighborhood for generations. A sign for the store still hangs in the building’s window.

“In addition to running the store, John was also appointed to several city committees, including the committee on minority housing and the advisory committee, which encouraged citizen participation in community improvement projects,” Peterson said.

Throughout the tour, Peterson passed around photos of the Black Madisonians whose lives she described and pictures of the places as they used to look.

“We have this photo of [John] standing in front of the store with his businesswear on and for the audience, it creates a moment where all of these connections are made,” Peterson said. “You’re like, OK, this helps me imagine what this would have been like in 1915 as community members are going in and out of this business, John is talking to his customers, asking them how their day was… It brings it to life.”

A sign for the store still hangs in the building’s window. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examine)

A yellow and blue house next door was the home of William and Anna Mae Miller.

William Miller, who was from Kentucky and studied law, faced discrimination that prevented him from becoming a practicing lawyer. He moved to Milwaukee with his wife and worked as a waiter until he met Wisconsin Gov. Robert M. La Follette, who took him on as an aide.

Miller went on to help found the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in the community in 1902. He and Anna Mae also helped establish the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Peterson noted that the family owned multiple buildings and rented out rooms to other Black people who needed a place to stay as there weren’t many places in Madison that were open to Black people.

Peterson also noted that William Miller tried to help save documents from the state Capitol building when it caught on fire in February 1904.

“He was one of those brave individuals who went up to the Capitol to do what he could to save documents to save materials from the Capitol on that cold night,” she said.

Two books served as the starting research for the Madison Black History walking tour: “Settlin’: Stories of Madison’s Early African American Families,” by Muriel Simms and “Make Way for Liberty: Wisconsin African Americans in the Civil War,” by Jeff Kannel.

Peterson also pulled out Settlin’ throughout the tour, using photos from the book to illustrate the stories she shared including one of Leo Vinton Butts, the first Black man to play in a University of Wisconsin-Madison football game. His father, Benjamin Butts, was enslaved as a child in Virginia before moving to Wisconsin after the Civil War at age 11, and the home where the elder Butts raised eight children is also a stop on the tour.

“At the height of the Civil War, he reportedly hung around the camp,” Peterson said, of the 5th Independent Battery Wisconsin Light Artillery, which was stationed in Virginia. Butts “started helping out with different tasks and responsibilities and chores, became very well beloved by and well regarded by the soldiers in the unit, and when the regiment decided to return home to Wisconsin following the war, Butts decided to follow.”

Peterson said he worked as a clerk and porter before securing a job at a barber shop, which she said was among the few jobs that African-Americans could access at the time. Butts then bought his own barber shop on the Capitol Square where he made connections, including with Gov. La Follette.

“By 1895, Butts was an established and influential leader within the Madison African-American community,” Peterson said.

Renee Moe, the CEO of United Way of Dane County, who joined the tour, she had wanted to attend for several years.

“So many of the issues that all of us are facing today in our communities, in our country and our world, have deep historic roots. And the more we can understand about our communities and build relationships with those stories and with each other, I think the better context we have to actually work together to improve the quality of life for everyone.”

Moe said she was struck by how geography and housing has shifted since the 1800s. Most of the neighborhood on the tour is made up of student housing these days. She said she remembered that “there used to be some nonprofits there, like Access Community Health, and Urban League, and they’ve moved to the south side or to the east side.”

A yellow and blue house next door home was the home of William and Anna Mae Miller. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

The tour ended outside of the state Capitol by the statue of Vel Phillips, the former Secretary of State who was the first Black statewide official in Wisconsin and the first Black judge in the state  and who worked to fight against racially restrictive housing covenants. The statue honoring her outside the Capitol was unveiled in 2024.

“Vel Phillips’ work was talking about housing access and fair housing practices,” Moe said. “Today we’re still working on housing access and affordability, so that’s what struck me was how neighborhoods shift, how wealth and opportunities shift over generations, and the fact that we need to stay committed to making sure that all community members and neighbors have access to that opportunity to rise.”

Peterson, who was born and raised in Madison and has worked for the Historical Society for two years, said she has learned a lot of history that she didn’t previously know from conducting the tour.

“The people that are part of this tour, and the families that they created, and the community institutions that they created, and the businesses that were part of this neighborhood, like this thriving space, the complexity and the nuance of that — I didn’t know about,” she said. “I also have felt very grateful to be able to learn and take this in and continue to ask questions about it.”

The Madison Black History walking tour is just one of the walking tours that the Wisconsin Historical Society offers. Recent additions include  an LGBTQ+ history tour and a “Democracy in Action” tour, added for the 250th anniversary of the United States.

“What’s important is making sure we share these stories now, and that we continue to ask questions, so that we can learn more about these people and their contributions to Madison’s history,” Peterson said.

Walking tour traces the steps of Black Madisonians who shaped Wisconsin’s capital was originally published by Wisconsin Examiner.

Discourse’s cafe at Radio Milwaukee. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

Discourse‘s popular coffee drinks will soon be available outside the walls of its two local cafes.

The business is launching a mobile arm to shuttle its baristas across the Milwaukee area, with pop-ups planned for parties, corporate gatherings and other events — including a maiden voyage at Summerfest.

“We had been dreaming of a mobile for quite some time,” said Ryan Castelaz who runs the cafe with his business partner, Sean Liu. “Discourse Mobile was designed as a way for us to more holistically engage our brand in off site events: all the way from massive like Summerfest to intimate like a backyard wedding.”

Discourse Coffee Mobile is housed in a restored 1997 Subaru Sambar KEI truck — now painted a rich forest green and emblazoned with the cafe’s name, logo and slogan: Drink Different. Sam McGovern-Rowen, an “avid car guy” and one of Discourse’s “strongest supporters,” according to Castelaz, arranged for the truck’s import. “When it rolled off the boat several months later, it was the cutest little silver pickup you ever did see,” he added.

Liu and a team of collaborators worked over several months to transform the vehicle before Michael Cerda of Cerda Design Co. hand painted the finishing touches. Inside, Discourse Mobile is equipped with a full espresso and cold bar setup, and can serve “most any past or present drink from the Discourse catalogue,” Castelaz confirmed.

The truck debuted at Summerfest over the weekend, setting up near Generac Power Stage with classic espresso drinks and a list of signature lattes — including two designed specifically for the festival.

Preparations came down to the wire. “[We] pulled a few late nights and early mornings to get this truck ready,” Liu said. “There’s a special place in my heart for Summerfest, and I just knew that it was the right place and time for the people of Milwaukee to see what we’ve been working on.”

Alongside features visible to customers, Liu said the mobile features “amazing feats of engineering” inside. “The truck has full off-grid capabilities, he said. “I feel like I’m in Fast and the Furious when I open the panels to show people. People have been losing their minds.”

Castelaz expressed gratitude to sponsors Minor Figures, Hollander Chocolate Company and Bittercube for making the Summerfest appearance possible.

Along with public appearances, Discourse Mobile is available for private event bookings. Inquiries can be submitted online.

This article has been updated with new information

Candle Bar Planned For East Town

A visit to Luxe Pour Studio will begin with one simple question: “What do you need today?”

At the soon-to-open candle bar, 765 N. Jackson St., the answer will help guide everything that follows.

Apothecary bottles line the studio’s wall-to-wall shelves, their custom labels noting descriptors like love, energy and calm. Visitors will use those blends as a starting point to create their own candles.

“The whole idea is that people are being intentional about the mood they’re looking for,” said owner Adrienne Reese. “Whether it’s focus, joy, relaxation — we have already put scents together that help create that mood.”

Read the full article

Former Southside Club Could Reopen as Sports Bar

The South Side’s newest sports bar could arrive in time for the final games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Pending city approval, Macrina’s Sport Bar is set to open in the coming weeks at 1663 S. 11th St., offering cold beer, snacks, TVs and a “family-friendly” atmosphere.

“We want to try to bring something good for the community,” said owner Marcela Lechuga, adding she aims to offer a “safe and comfortable place where everybody will be welcome.”

A seasoned entrepreneur, Lechuga has experience at businesses from hair salons to hot dog carts. She and her husband, Jose, also operate Ma’chuggy’s tavern at 3173 S. 13th St.

Read the full article

Shorewood Siblings Launch Ube-Focused Bakery

Ube, a violet-hued staple of Filipino cuisine, is gaining popularity in the local food scene, showing up in everything from craft lattes to scoops of ice cream.

In Shorewood, two preteens are spearheading their own purple reign.

Miles and Zelda Quimpo, ages 12 and almost 10, launched Ube MKE earlier this year. The cottage bakery offers ube crinkle cookies, muffins and brownies for pickup and has a busy schedule of summer pop-ups ahead.

The brother-sister duo has always enjoyed ube, which was ubiquitous in their Southern California hometown but harder to come by after they relocated to the Milwaukee suburb last summer.

Read the full article

New ‘Healthier’ Restaurant Planned for Riverwest

Calvin Martin has a big vision for transforming a vacant, city-owned building and dozens more homes.

After successfully going through Acts Housing‘s homebuying counseling program in Beloit, Martin is setting up a home-renovation business and cafe in Milwaukee.

The lauded Acts process involves credit counseling, down payment saving and, often, acquisition of a home in need of repair.

Martin, a process engineer with contracting experience, said the renovation aspect is an “overwhelming thing” for many people. He aims to make it easier and thinks there is a business opportunity to do so.

Read the full article

Food Truck Park Planned For Vacant Southside Lot

A grassy lot in the Muskego Way neighborhood could soon become a local hub for food, drinks and socialization. El Toro Properties LLC has purchased the 0.74-acre property at 2137 W. Greenfield Ave. as the site for a proposed food truck park.

Restaurateur Toribio Perez Martinez is behind the venture, bringing years of restaurant and food truck experience from Taqueria El Toro, which he operates at several locations throughout the Milwaukee area and in Lomira, Wisconsin.

The southside project remains in its earliest stages as Perez Martinez, working with architecture firm BMR Design Group, seeks city approval to construct a new building on the fenced-in lot.

A building previously stood on the northwest corner of the site but has since been demolished. Its former tenant, Milwaukee Christian Center — now known as Milwaukee Community Crossroads — relocated in 2013.

Read the full article

Tenant Sought For Former Rare Steakhouse Space

Irgens is seeking a new tenant for the high-end restaurant space at the base of the 833 East office tower following the closure of Rare Steakhouse earlier this year.

The 5,497-square-foot space, 833 E. Michigan St., is available for lease, according to a listing from Colliers International, which describes the space as turnkey. The listing comes even as a co-owner of the restaurant applied to renew the restaurant’s licenses.

Photos included in the listing show the former steakhouse’s dining room, bar and kitchen, with furniture and equipment still in place. An itemized inventory is available on request.

Colliers highlights the property’s proximity to lakefront events and nearby office workers, with more than 25 business tenants occupying the 18-story building’s upper floors. The space is adjacent to The Couture luxury apartment tower and along The Hop streetcar route.

Read the full article

A Walker’s Point Fixture is Back in Business

After months of uncertainty, Fixture Pizza Pub is back to serving customers in Walker’s Point.

The restaurant resumed service at 623 S. 2nd St. over the weekend, though diners said it is currently operating with a limited menu.

Customers crowded in for a taste of their favorite pies following the hiatus, dining in or toting pizza boxes for carryout as the last of the Milwaukee Pride Parade marched past Fixture’s newly reopened doors.

Business was brisk Wednesday evening, too, with guests gathered around square-cut pizzas and plates of eggplant fries as the NBA Finals drew eyes to TVs mounted above the packed bar.

Read the full article

Nadi Plates Cancels Plans To Open In Former Food Hall

Nadi Plates is changing course on its proposed East Side restaurant more than a year after its initial proposal.

The business, which currently operates as a food truck and event vendor, will not move forward with plans at 2238 N. Farwell Ave., the former Crossroads Collective space, and instead plans to launch a brick-and-mortar location nearby at 2163 N. Farwell Ave., the former home of Pomona Cider Company.

“We are cooking up exciting plans to transform the space into the new Nadi Plates, and we can’t wait to share them with you as details are finalized,” the owners shared in an online post Thursday morning.

Nadi Plates was announced as an incoming tenant at 2238 N. Farwell Ave. in April 2025, shortly after the sudden closure of Crossroads Collective. In the following months, the business secured a series of construction permits and, in March, applied for a sign permit.

Read the full article

Pita Pit Closes Downtown Restaurant

Pita Pit, a fast-casual Mediterranean chain, has closed its downtown location after more than a decade in business.

Signage has been removed from the corner storefront at 231 E. Wisconsin Ave., which is now being marketed for lease by Colliers International.

A phone call to the business went unanswered Wednesday and the restaurant’s Facebook page is no longer active.

Opened in 2015, the restaurant occupied a space in the base of the Railway Exchange Building, where it served a health-focused lineup of custom pita sandwiches, grain bowls and salads.

Read the full article

1. Back in the News: John Menard’s Fortunes Declining

Losing court cases and paying judgments while seeing his wealth decline.

Jun 17th, 2026 by Bruce Murphy

2. Back in the News: Fiserv Loses Its $70 Million Man

Michael Lyons steps down after disastrous decline in Milwaukee company’s stock.

Jun 15th, 2026 by Bruce Murphy

3. New ‘Healthier’ Restaurant Planned for Riverwest

Home renovation business owner Calvin Martin has big plans for vacant city property.

Jun 16th, 2026 by Jeramey Jannene

4. Back in the News: Menard Makes Big Money, Others Not So Much

Company faces more legal claims for underpaying workers.

Nov 4th, 2025 by Bruce Murphy

5. 15 Ways To Get Into Summerfest For Free in 2026

Options galore, including a trip to the grocery store.

Jun 18th, 2026 by Jeramey Jannene

6. Company Trades Brookfield for Milwaukee’s Innovation District

National contract furniture dealer Henricksen moves to trendy Walker’s Point building.

Jun 17th, 2026 by Jeramey Jannene

7. Democratic Socialist Hong Meets Milwaukee’s Capitalists

Gubernatorial candidate speaks at the ‘most exclusive club in the city.’

Jun 18th, 2026 by Graham Kilmer

8. Now Serving: Popular Fruit Trucks Returning to Milwaukee

Plus: Popular pizzeria returns, Nadi Plates pivots and farewell to Pita Pit.

Jun 14th, 2026 by Sophie Bolich

9. Long-Anticipated Downtown Hotel Files To Open

Luxury conversion of 1920 auto dealership could soon welcome first guests.

Jun 19th, 2026 by Jeramey Jannene

10. Minocqua Brewing Sues Wisconsin Over Seizure Of 1,200 Beer Cans

Kirk Bangstad alleges unfair treatment and $25,000 in damages after DOR tax dispute.

Jun 18th, 2026 by Anya van Wagtendonk

Press Releases

Most popular press releases in the past week.

1. The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Summerfest 2026 Opening Weekend June 18-20

 

Jun 16th, 2026 by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.

2. Veteran Meteorologist and Milwaukee Native Lindsey Slater Joins TMJ4’s Storm Team 4

 

Jun 15th, 2026 by TMJ4

3. Milwaukee’s Summerfest Announces Highly Anticipated 2024 Lineup

ILLENIUM to Headline on June 27 at American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Mar 21st, 2024 by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.

4. Village of Marathon City Receives $250,000 State Grant to Support Construction of New Wellness-Centered Commercial Building

WEDC investment to help fund the construction of a health clinic, farm-to-table grocery, and community event space

Jun 19th, 2026 by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

5. WISN 12 Names Lakyra Banks as Weekend Morning Anchor

Gifted journalist joins WISN 12’s weekend morning newscasts in July

Jun 10th, 2026 by WISN 12

6. Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP Welcomes Attorney Paul S. Crawford Joins Gimbel to the Family and Criminal Law Groups

 

Jun 16th, 2026 by Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP Gimbel, Reilly,

7. Nomad World Pub Announces Full World Cup Viewing Experience & Brady Street Final Block Party

 

Jun 3rd, 2026 by Wild Planet Hospitality Group

8. HACM Completes Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List Lottery

Lottery Establishes Official Waiting List for Future Housing Choice Voucher Assistance

Jun 17th, 2026 by Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee

9. Tom Tiffany’s Vote Against Juneteenth Shows He Is Too Extreme to Lead Wisconsin

 

Jun 18th, 2026 by David Crowley

10. Milwaukee Police Seek Suspect in Critical West Becher Street Shooting

 

Jun 18th, 2026 by Milwaukee Police Department

Bao Bao Cuisine. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.

Despite the traffic and the road construction, you can’t miss BaoBao Cuisine when you get close to it on S. 27th Street just south of Layton Ave. That is because BaoBao announces itself with a giant sign on the street side of the restaurant that reads Vietnamese Cuisine. This new restaurant serves authentic Vietnamese food, including a long list of pho choices.

I came twice, and both times one of my companions ordered pho: the seafood pho and the special pho. The special overflowed with beef, a variety that included tenderloin, meatballs, brisket and tendon. The broth had a deep, beefy flavor, and the tender meat had absorbed the nuances of the broth. The tendon, a traditional addition to beef pho, tasted like a beefy rubber band. For the seafood pho, the chef added shrimp, fish balls, fish cakes, squid and scallops. Both bowls came with basil, lime and sprouts. There were 15 varieties of pho on the menu, including oxtail, lobster, chicken, tofu and one in a hot stone.

The stir-fried mixed vegetables were a week’s worth of veggies for one person and included broccoli, carrots, celery, cabbage and sprouts. Each vegetable was crisp, and the steamed rice was just right and delicious on its own. There were a dozen steamed rice dishes, including lobster, Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken and Vietnamese curry.

A special for the day, shaken beef tenderloin or nui xao bo luc lac, was predominantly stir-fried beef plus some slices of red and green peppers and onions. A sweet glaze flavored the dish, which also had a serving of steamed rice and a small salad.

We found the same vegetables in the fried rice that we had enjoyed in the dish with the steamed rice. My companion added chicken to her fried rice and said the dish needed something to liven the flavors of the vegetables and the abundant shredded chicken. It was an easy fix when she added soy sauce and the very spicy chili oil that were already on the table.

If you are familiar with classic Vietnamese spring rolls, then you know they are healthy and filled with crunchy vegetables. The rolls at BaoBao lived up to those expectations. There were also large pieces of shrimp inside the paper-thin wrap, and an addictive peanut sauce came with the rolls for dipping.

Tea drinkers will appreciate the long list of tea varieties. I counted 13, and that list included green tea, red tea, tropical fruit tea and artichoke tea with chia seeds.

This is a large restaurant with many tables, and for ambiance a waterfall at the south end of the room added the soothing sound of water falling on rocks. Our servers were friendly and attentive. We could tell they wanted us to like their food, and we did.

When you are in the mood for a big, comforting bowl of pho or another Vietnamese dish, check out BaoBao. It’s authentic and it’s good.

On the Menu

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Photo Gallery

The Rundown

The Couture and US Bank Center. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Think you know what happened in Milwaukee last week? Take Urban Milwaukee’s weekly news quiz.

The quiz is available in our bulletins section for Urban Milwaukee members.

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You’re reading a weekly rundown of all of our short-format ‘bulletins.’ The members-only content allows us to provide additional news and analysis on topics we haven’t written full articles about.

A New Twist In Milwaukee’s Michelin Bid [Reporting Update]

The Michelin Guide, now months into research for its American Great Lakes edition, announced Cincinnati as a late addition Thursday morning.

The Ohio city joins six others under consideration for the new edition: Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh.

Michelin said its inspectors are already in the field, with inaugural restaurant selections expected to be revealed in 2027.

Urban Milwaukee broke the news in April that Michelin would consider Milwaukee-area restaurants in its upcoming American Great Lakes guide.

The city’s tourism board, Visit Milwaukee, will pay $150,000 per year over three years for its contract with Michelin, which runs through 2029 — a roughly $450,000 investment in marketing and tourism.

– Sophie Bolich, June 18 10:35 am

More: Read our past coverage

Celebration of Life Set for Tony DePalma of Y-NOT II [Reporting Update]

A celebration of life is scheduled for Y-NOT II owner Tony dePalma, who died last month at 86.

It will be held Saturday, June 20, beginning at 2 p.m., at the bar, 706 E. Lyon St., which DePalma operated for 55 years until his death.

According to a post on the tavern’s Facebook page:

No wakes or sad funerals here folks. Tony wanted a party and that is what we will give him. The day we honor that for Tony DePalma will be Saturday June 20th. 2 pm on… at, of course, the Y-Not II Tavern. All who knew him are welcome to come raise a toast, share a story, and celebrate his life with us.

Please no flowers, this is not a ‘fern bar’ as Tony would say. If you are so inclined a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or Cure Alzheimer’s Fund would be welcomed instead.

– Michael Horne, June 18 7:32 am

More: Read: The Long Run of Tony DePalma and the Y-NOT II

La Cage Owner Seriously Injured By Reckless Scooter Operator [Short Take]

Dave Wolz, the owner of popular nightclub La Cage, faces a long recovery after being struck by an individual riding a Lime scooter on a sidewalk.

Wolz was stepping out of Old German Beer Hall when a scooter operator came riding down the sidewalk illegally and struck him.

Operators are instructed not to ride the scooters, which have a maximum speed of 15 mph, on the sidewalk, but violators can routinely be observed.

The individual operating the scooter is expected to be charged with a crime, according to a statement by Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

The identities of scooter operators are known because unlocking the dockless devices requires a credit card. Setting up an account requires an ID to be scanned.

TJ Dysart was the first to report on the incident and his story includes video of the incident.

Wolz will have spinal surgery later this week and suffered other broken bones.

– Jeramey Jannene, June 18 6:37 am

Did The KK Can Opener Just Eat Another Truck? [Scene on the Street]

KK Can Opener ripped open a tractor-trailer. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad bridges over S. Kinnickinnic Avenue has claimed another victim, maybe.

A Denali Transport tractor-trailer, with a large gash in the trailer, was seen parked between the bridges Tuesday morning.

The bridges, affectionately known as the KK Can Opener, have a long history of stripping the tops of vehicles being struck by inattentive drivers.

But in this case, with the trailer itself collapsed and the damage in the middle, it appears it might have been a load issue. The truck was already turned into the South Harbor Campus driveway.

The two bridges that straddle the driveway have a 12 foot, 9 inch clearance height.

The roadway was expected to be lowered under the southern bridge as part of creating safer access to Komatsu Mining‘s South Harbor Campus development, but the company elected to lower the roadway only under a bridge over E. Greenfield Avenue used to access the northern entry of the complex.

Want more? A Facebook page captures much of the action.

– Jeramey Jannene, June 16 9:54 am

Did Milwaukee Win A James Beard? [Reporting Update]

Milwaukee’s own Worawit “Ray” Boonyapituksakul and Cherry Phetleung attended the 40th annual James Beard Awards ceremony Monday evening in Chicago, representing the city and their restaurant, 1033 Omakase, in hopes of bringing home a coveted silver medallion.

While New York City wine bar Lei ultimately took the title of Best New Restaurant, Midwesterners still have plenty to celebrate.

Alongside 1033 Omakase, Wisconsin sent four finalists to the prestigious event, including Zak Baker of Tosa’s Ca’Lucchenzo, Cultured in Sister Bay, Hastings Cameron of Imaginary Factory in Madison and Sway Brewing & Blending in Baileys Harbor.

“Top Chef” judge Gail Simmons hosted the ceremony, which took place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and featured appearances from celebrity chefs, politicians and hip-hop duo Run The Jewels.

Immigration emerged as a recurring theme throughout the awards ceremony, with speakers including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressing support for immigrants and taking aim at the Trump administration.

– Sophie Bolich, June 16 9:33 am

More: Read our past coverage

City Completes Purchase of 30th Street Corridor Property [Reporting Update]

A little bit of news catch up from our January report that broke the news that the Department of Public Works was eyeing the purchase of an underused factory on N. 35th Street.

On April 30, the City of Milwaukee completed its purchase of the 10.7-acre property at 3282 N. 35th St.

The city, according to state real estate transfer records, paid $1.87 million for the property, which includes a 101,410-square-foot building.

The building is anticipated to serve as the home for DPW’s municipal services operation, part of a multi-step process to move out of a Menomonee Valley facility the city is spending $2 million annually maintaining.

The Common Council authorized paying up to $2 million for the property. It was assessed for $1.2 million, but the deal was subject to an appraisal.

– Jeramey Jannene, June 15 5:33 pm

More: See our February coverage

UW-Madison students walk on campus Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

After the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling that a state college grant program for minority students is unconstitutional, an education policy researcher says any move that reduces options for financial aid will further the state’s college affordability crisis.

Created in 1985, the Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant Program offered up to $2,500 in financial assistance to students who are Black, American Indian, Hispanic or from some parts of Southeast Asia. In a unanimous ruling, the court found the program violates the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law regardless of race or ethnicity. The decision aligns with a 2023 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that limited race-based college admissions.

That means Wisconsin colleges and universities have lost some — but not all — of the tools at their disposal for improving diversity in higher education.

Education policy researcher Taylor Odle told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that he’s concerned the state is losing a program that improves financial access to college at a time when Wisconsin is already spending dramatically less on per-student financial aid than other states. Wisconsin has a lower-than-average “sticker price” for college, but the affordability gap for students at public bachelor’s-granting institutions is more than twice the national average.

Odle said he hopes the program will be repurposed to support other students who are seeking to complete college. He discussed that and more with “Wisconsin Today.”

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Rob Ferrett: What do you see as the impact of yesterday’s ruling? 

Taylor Odle: At its core, this is a scholarship program meant to help increase affordability for students and families to access college in the state. … This is a retention grant program, so it’s serving students who are already in college to help get them across the finish line. We know the data show that there are already these widespread disparities in retention rates across many dimensions, not just race. As someone who cares about increasing opportunities to higher education (and) to career and technical training, I kind of see this as a double blow to Wisconsin — first as a scholarship program, and second as one focused on supporting students who face particularly high barriers already in college.

RF: The argument that students from these minority groups face higher barriers, that’s something that doesn’t seem to please the courts at this point. Is there a case for that?

TO: The data are very clear that opportunity and success are not evenly distributed across groups. This applies to racially and ethnically minoritized groups, but it also applies to other important populations. Veteran students and non-veterans, students who are from low-income backgrounds and high-income families, students from rural areas and urban areas — don’t persist and attain (higher education) in the same way. So this program in 1985 was likely the state saying, “Hey, we see some differences in success rates across students across the state. What can we do to invest to help equalize those things?”

That could be for a variety of arguments. It could be for efficiency — if we already have people in college (and) we put in some extra money to help them finish, for taxpayer dollars that’s going to be a huge return on investment.

At the end of the day, this is a scholarship program, and Wisconsin remains one of the most unaffordable states in the country for students, and that’s where I think we should put most of our attention. (This program) served about 770 students. (But) we have over 200,000 enrolled across the state. A concern I have is that the average student or family might see this as a redirection of financial aid dollars from one group toward another, or that their aid is going to change, but that’s really not going to happen. We have a bigger problem to deal with.

RF: Could this grant program be redirected in a way that still serves students at risk of not being retained, if it’s not based on race? 

TO: Yeah, I hope for that, and much more. Retention grants work, and financial aid is the most surefire way of increasing access and completion. The research is crystal clear on that point. I hope this propels two things. One, I hope the grant program is repurposed to support other students who are seeking to complete college. But more importantly, I hope this kind of fringe case shines a light and reinvigorates our conversation around affordability in Wisconsin. Now that folks are satisfied that these dollars are being redirected, at the end of the day it still doesn’t solve the case that our state spends less than half what our peer states spend on financial aid per student.

Wisconsin can still boost college affordability after Supreme Court ruling, researcher says was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Books. (Creative Commons Zero – CC0)

A long-time Milwaukee and Madison educator will head Wisconsin’s Office of Literacy, taking over the role as the state tries to address declines in kids’ reading ability.

Kaylee Jackson comes to the Department of Public Instruction after spending three years as the executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Madison Metropolitan School District.

She also was an English teacher at Milwaukee Academy of Science and principal at Carmen Schools of Science and Technology in Milwaukee.

Most recently, Jackson was a reading consultant.

State Superintendent Jill Underly said Jackson has spent her career as a “tireless advocate for students and schools, particularly those serving children who have too often been denied equitable opportunities to succeed.”

“Improving literacy outcomes for every learner in Wisconsin is one of our highest priorities, and Kaylee brings both the expertise and urgency this work requires,” Underly said in a written statement.

Jackson’s appointment comes as DPI will begin placing literacy coaches in about 50 public schools this fall.

The coaches are a key component of Act 20, the reading legislation passed in 2023.

That law mandates changes to early literacy education in public schools for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade.

Kaylee Jackson. Photo courtesy DPI

Act 20 requires schools to use approved curriculum, provides professional development to teachers in the science of reading and tests students on their ability. But the changes have been slow to materialize due to political infighting.

As part of the bill, the legislature budgeted $50 million to fund initiatives it required. But the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee withheld the money as part of a dispute with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, leading to a lengthy legal battle. Last June, the committee released $9 million of the funds to pay for reading coaches.

During an interview this week with WPR, Jackson said Act 20 is a sustained effort and not something that will solve the state’s reading issues in one to three years.

About 36 percent of Wisconsin’s youngest students score below the 25th percentile for reading.

Statewide standardized tests show that fewer than 40 percent of students are considered proficient, and adult literacy rates indicate that over half of Wisconsin adults read below a sixth-grade level.

Jackson said the states that are seeing improved reading scores are seeing the improvement after six or seven years.

‘So what’s going to be necessary is understanding that this is going to be a journey for us,” Jackson said. “And we need the continued support of our schools. We need the continued support of our Legislature and we need continued support from DPI.”

Jackson started her role in May.

Before that, she was offered a job with the Milwaukee Reading Coalition, but the group was unable to move forward with the position due to lack of state funding.

Stephanie Maney-Hartlaub, executive director for City Year Milwaukee, was on the hiring committee of the Milwaukee Reading Coalition.

During an interview with WPR last week, Maney-Hartlaub said that even though Jackson isn’t going to work with Milwaukee specifically, the group feels like they will have an advocate that understands where the city is coming from regarding reading challenges.

“I mean (Jackson) is fantastic,” Maney-Hartlaub said. “At the end of the day, we wanted them to be leading this work because we believe they have the passion, and the know-how to do it. We wanted that for scholars in Milwaukee.”

Jackson says in her first six months, she wants to make sure the coaching program gets off the ground at the schools so teachers are supported.

She also wants to work on communication around Act 20, so families, the Legislature and people across the state know what goals DPI has.

The goal of Act 20 is to have every child reading proficiently by the end of third grade.

“Everybody who has a hand in ensuring that our students within the state of Wisconsin are literate,” Jackson said. “We want to be sure that we have clear communication around the priority, the urgency, and the support necessary to make sure our students are reaching the goal that we have.”

New Wisconsin DPI reading leader says changes to literacy scores will take time was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Salah Sarsour (center) surrounded by friends and supporters. Photo taken June 19, 2026 by Graham Kilmer.

“I have a new life,” Salah Sarsour told a crowd gathered at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Friday.

Sarsour was released from federal custody the day prior after 80 days in immigration detention in the Clay County Jail in Indiana. U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, ordered his release Thursday after finding evidence he had been targeted by the federal government for protected free speech.

Friday was the first time he was able to pray the Friday prayer with his community since he was arrested on March 30.

“Finally, I am back, and I’m here with my grandchildren, with my family, with my dear community,” he said.

Sarsour is a Palestinian immigrant who came to the U.S. more than 30 years ago. He is the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and on the board of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). He was arrested by federal agents for allegedly “funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms,” according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the time.

His arrest was allegedly connected to his conviction in an Israeli military court more than three decades ago. At the time Sarsour lived under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. The U.S. government had known about his conviction since he immigrated to the country, and his family and supporters have said the charges were fraudulent.

The claims by federal immigration officials were also fraudulent and used as a pretext to go after Sarsour, his supporters and attorneys have said. Sarsour was targeted by the federal government because of his vocal advocacy for Palestinian people, they said.

“These are 30 year old stale allegations that they’re dredging up now,” one of his attorneys Lena Droubi said over a remote connection to the press conference Friday. “The real reality here is that Salah Sarsour was targeted for his lawful speech.”

In a 29-page order, Hanlon agreed there is evidence supporting a “substantial First Amendment retaliation claim, which could render his detention unlawful.”

After his arrest, Sarsour’s attorneys filed a petition for habeus corpus, asking the federal government to prove his detention is lawful. On Thursday, Hanlon ordered Sarsour released from federal custody pending the outcome of his habeus petition. Along with his habeus case, Sarsour still has an active immigration case, where the federal government is attempting to have him deported from the country.

“It’s been one hell of a ride, so far, I tell ya,” said Mujned Ahmad, one of Sarsour’s friends and attorney working on his legal team.

Both Ahmad and Sarsour said Hanlon’s decision to release Sarsour gave them confidence in the U.S. judicial system.

“Honestly, he gave me hope for the system that thank God we have still a great people who can give right judgment for a better future,” Sarsour said.

Sarsour’s health deteriorated during his time in federal custody, according to his attorneys. He was not receiving adequate treatment or nutrition for his diabetes, they said. He lost 35 pounds while in custody and had ulcers on his feet that were not treated, Ahmad said. He also missed the birth of his youngest grandchild.

While Ahmad was speaking, one of Sarsour’s sons collapsed while standing next to his father. Ahmad said the family has not been sleeping well, and living in constant stress since their father’s arrest. Another of Sarsour’s sons Kareem described “living every day as the nightmare continues.”

“We have Salah back, thankfully, but there are other people languishing in Clay County and in ICE custody who are being mistreated, who are being disallowed their proper medical care,” Ahmad said. “It’s high time for our administration to realize what they’re doing is un-American, to abduct somebody because of his speech, his advocacy for Palestine, is totally un-American.”

Ahmad read a message from U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, who said, “From the beginning. I knew that Salah was being targeted by the Trump administration for his advocacy for Palestinians in America. This is not a crime, it’s a right entitled to individuals, no matter who holds the White House, the judge’s ruling reaffirms this.”

Other supporters spoke for Sarsour Friday, including Jodi Melamed, an organizer with Jews for Salah, who said, “I am one of many Jews in Milwaukee who see Salah as our hero for standing up for all of our constitutional rights, for standing up for democracy.”

Fauzia Qureshi, executive director of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, thanked local elected officials including Ald. Alex Brower and Sup. Caroline Gómez-Tom for authoring resolutions condemning Sarsour’s detention and calling for his release. The resolutions were passed by the Milwaukee Common Council and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, respectively. 

Along with Moore, other members of congress wrote to Trump administration officials demanding Sarsour’s release, including U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen, Qureshi said.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voce de la Frontera, said Sarsour’s homecoming celebration was also an opportunity “to really commit ourselves again to the struggle ahead to the days ahead.” His release, she said, was “really proof today that when we come together we do make a difference.”

“I am back to continue to serve the community,” Sarsour said. “Monday, we will have many meetings to continue building bridges… we are against anything unjust, but anything with values, anything with justice, anything with support for families, support education, support our kids, and the future of our kids, we will be there.”

W. Hopkins St. near Century City. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A trio of tax incremental financing (TIF) districts surrounding the Century City business park would fund approximately $7 million in street repairs, traffic-safety projects, environmental cleanup, housing improvements, street-lighting upgrades, and a new playground.

The proposed amendments cover three districts on Milwaukee’s North Side: the Century City district, the Bishop’s Creek district and a smaller district associated with a former DRS Technologies facility.

“Combined, the three amendments today are about $7 million of investment into the neighborhood,” said Dan Casanova, Department of City Development senior economic development specialist, to the board of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (RACM) Thursday afternoon.

The largest amendment would add about $4 million in spending to the Century City district (No. 74). The district, centered near N. 35th Street and W. Capitol Drive, was created in 2009 to support the redevelopment of the former Tower Automotive complex and includes several hundred surrounding homes.

The proposal marks a significant change in fortunes for a district that spent years unable to generate enough property tax revenue to cover the city’s costs of acquiring, cleaning and preparing the former industrial site. Successful TIF districts elsewhere in Milwaukee have donated approximately $21 million to help pay off the Century City district’s debt.

“It took a long time to get here, but this TID is doing what it was designed to,” said RACM Commissioner Montavius Jones. He called the turnaround “monumental.”

The district had an $89.2 million base value when it was created in 2009. That figure was reset to $63.3 million in 2014 after property values fell during and after the Great Recession. The district is now valued at about $109.9 million.

“There is positive value in the district, which is actually ahead of what was projected in 2009,” Casanova said. “It just took us a really long time to get there.”

The district’s struggles were caused not only by the slow pace of development at Century City but also by declining residential property values within its boundaries. About 900 properties are included in the district.

TIF District 74 plan. Image from DCD.

The amendment would provide $1 million for environmental remediation and site preparation at Century City, where city officials continue to pursue new industrial development.

Dave Misky, city director of real estate, said an effort to construct a second building modeled on Century City 1 has encountered complications from PFAS contamination. But he said the majority of the about 40-acre development site is prepared and ready for construction.

The plan also includes $1.1 million for safety improvements and repaving on N. 35th Street, $820,000 for improvements to W. Capitol Drive between N. 31st and N. 35th streets and $500,000 for safety improvements on N. Hopkins Street between N. 20th and N. 27th streets.

N. 35th Street, Capitol Drive and Hopkins Street are all included on the city’s High Injury Network, which identifies streets where severe and fatal crashes are concentrated.

City Engineer Kevin Muhs said the Capitol Drive work would focus on the south side of the street and improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. The project would connect several other nearby investments and include work beneath the railroad viaduct.

Another $220,000 would be used to repave W. Bernhard Place, next to Townsend Street School.

The amendment includes $150,000 for grants to homeowners, administered through the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation. Casanova said the amount is based on what the district can support, not the level of demand, which is substantially greater.

The plan also reserves $150,000 as a contingency and $100,000 for administration. The district is expected to pay off its obligations by 2034.

Bishop’s Creek Improvements

TIF District 72 plan. Image from DCD.

A second amendment would draw about $2 million from the Bishop’s Creek district, No. 72, for street lighting, traffic calming and a new playground at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s planned West Basin project.

The district was created in 2008 to support the redevelopment of the former Kaiser tannery property. It included a provision for forgivable home-improvement loans and supported an affordable housing development led by Holy Redeemer Institutional Church.

Like Century City, Bishop’s Creek was hit hard by the Great Recession.

The district’s base value was reset in 2014, reducing it by about $8 million and giving the district more flexibility to recover financially.

The amendment would provide $935,000 to replace street lighting, an issue area Alderwoman Andrea Pratt said generates frequent complaints from residents experiencing repeated outages.

Another $315,000 would fund traffic-calming improvements on N. Hopkins Street north of the work proposed through the neighboring TIF District. Raised crosswalks would also be installed near N. Teutonia Avenue and W. Lincoln Creek Parkway.

The largest single recreational investment would be $750,000 for a new playground at West Basin. The site is intended to hold 30 million gallons of stormwater, reducing area flooding and Deep Tunnel overflows. Misky said the playground component stems from neighborhood outreach led by the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation.

Pratt said the West Basin area, even before the project has been completed, has “really become a hub in the area.”

The Department of Public Works‘s MKE Plays program would maintain the playground.

“I’m happy we are able to deliver that for them,” said Pratt.

Wisconsin law allows TIF revenue to be spent on eligible public infrastructure within a half-mile of a district’s boundaries. The Bishop’s Creek district is expected to pay off its obligations in 2032, its 22nd year.

Proposed West Basin playground. Image from the City of Milwaukee.

Street Repairs Near Former DRS Facility

TIF District 62 plan. Image from DCD.

The smallest amendment would use $1 million from district No. 62 for street resurfacing and traffic-safety work.

The district was originally created in connection with a DRS Technologies facility at 4265 N. 30th Street and an employment commitment involving 450 workers over 10 years.

But, after the job commitment expired, the company  left the facility for Menomonee Falls

“They’ve moved out,” Misky said, adding that the building is being used for other purposes.

Despite the departure, the district has generated enough revenue to fund neighborhood improvements without additional borrowing. It currently has about $6.8 million in assessed value above a base value of about $2.8 million, creating a $4 million tax increment and about $80,000 in annual incremental property tax revenue.

The district is expected to pay off its existing obligations next year.

The amendment would provide $120,000 to resurface N. 29th Street near W. Capitol Drive.

Another $570,000 would pay for the high-impact paving on W. Courtland Avenue, N. 31st Street and two segments of W. Congress Street. An additional $40,000 would fund speed humps on Congress Street between N. 27th and N. 30th streets.

The proposal includes $370,000 for additional traffic calming on N. Hopkins Street, another High Injury Network corridor, and $120,000 for raised crosswalks near Lloyd Barbee Montessori School.

Pratt said the investments are particularly important in an area that has experienced years of declining investment.

“We have seen a lot of divestment from this area,” she said. “So it’s a huge deal that something is happening here for neighbors.”

“These are some of the worst streets in my district,” said the alderwoman.

Pratt said the projects would also offer residents a visible example of how their property tax payments can be reinvested in their neighborhoods.

“I am happy to let people know that we care about every neighborhood in the city,” she said.

The board unanimously approved all three amendments, but the Common Council must still approve the spending plan.

Acting Budget Director Nick Sinram (left) alongside County Executive David Crowley at confirmation hearing on June 11, 2026. Screenshot from county meeting livestream.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley‘s choice to lead the county budget office faced pushback from Milwaukee County Supervisors on the board’s powerful Committee on Finance.

Crowley tapped Nick Sinram, most recently the Milwaukee Public Schools budget director, to lead the Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance.

He would replace Joe Lamers, a well-regarded county technocrat who left the office to run the county’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) following last year’s transit budget scandal, which led to resignations at MCDOT and the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS).

Sinram comes to the county with the stink of another government’s budget scandal still on him, at least as far as some supervisors are concerned.

He sailed through his first confirmation hearing with unanimous backing from the board’s Committee on Health Equity, Human Needs and Strategic Planning. But at the Committee on Finance on Thursday, supervisors Justin Bielinski and Steve Taylor voted against his confirmation.

“I’ve met with the interim director, I think he’s a very likable individual,” Taylor said, “but my total lack of trust in MPS, it’s just at this level, I just look at it as a complete failure, and if I was you, I’d run from it, too.”

Sinram is a graduate of Marquette University Law School. He has worked in the state’s Workers’ Compensation Division, the city of Milwaukee’s Budget and Management Division and the City Attorney’s Office. He became director of the MPS Department of Financial Planning and Budget Services in 2023 and was with the district through a financial scandal precipitated by missed financial reporting deadlines that endangered state funding and then a $46 million budget deficit.

He has the county executive’s full support. Crowley showed up to his first hearing before the board to personally advocate for his confirmation. Crowley said he picked Sinram in part because of his experience with MPS, not despite it.

“I selected Nick for this role because I’ve seen firsthand how his experience has prepared him to lead through exactly the kind of fiscal challenges Milwaukee County faces today, and as we look ahead to this budget cycle and beyond, we know difficult decisions will need to be made,” Crowley said.

Sinram has found support from other board members, including Sup. Felesia Martin, who joked that she wondered whether Sinram liked “torture” after reviewing his resume. Sup. Shawn Rolland explained during his first confirmation hearing that he was initially skeptical, but that Sinram’s strong references won him over, particularly one from the former superintendent of Waukesha’s schools, who explained that Sinram’s position did not have authority over the functions of MPS that were the proximate cause of the missed deadlines and the budget deficit.

Sup. Willie Johnson Jr. supported Sinram’s confirmation at the Finance Committee, even making the motion to approve him. Johnson Jr. said he was encouraged by the comments from county officials who have worked with Sinram since he started at the office on an interim basis, pending his confirmation.

Isaac Rowlett, the county’s strategy director, said Sinram impressed him, that he’s “one of the most intellectually curious people that I’ve encountered in my time in public service.” Rowlett has served in the budget director role on an interim basis.

“What distinguishes Nick, in my opinion, is the way that he listens, and I think each of you on the committee have had an opportunity to witness this and experience this yourself, as he’s taken the time to meet with every single member of the board,” Rowlett said.

Bielinski questioned Sinram’s references, though, as well as the administration’s interpretation of Sinram’s tenure at MPS.

“I don’t see the current superintendent or anyone from the city attorney’s office or anyone from the mayor’s administration at the city where you worked previously,” Bielinski said. “I understand you know you worked under a city attorney at the time who had his own scandals going on, so I understand why you wouldn’t necessarily want his name on there.”

Sinram said he chose his “strongest references” and “references that I felt were familiar with my work, and especially my most recent work, and in the most progressive of responsibilities.”

But why did he leave MPS when the district is still struggling with financial challenges, Bielinski wanted to know. “Why, from your perspective, why not stay there to see the work through to get over that hump and get the house back in order? Why choose to leave in the middle of that process?”

Sinram said the county job was too enticing to pass up.

“Frankly, this was too exciting of an opportunity,” he said. “It was a promotional opportunity. It worked well for myself and my family, and while I believe very strongly in the mission of public education, I feel more at home providing municipal and county services, so it’s just too exciting to have an opportunity to turn down.”

Employing a baseball analogy, Bielinski wondered whether the county had chosen wisely. “You don’t get off the island by running out hard grounders; you get there by hitting home runs,” he said, adding that the county needs a superstar in the budget office. He told Sinram he would feel more comfortable if he was coming to the county having fixed the problems at MPS, “because we’re in such a mess at the county right now.”

County policymakers had to close a $47 million budget deficit in 2026. In May, the Office of the Comptroller reported the county is projected to face a $50.9 million budget deficit in 2027 and, by 2031, a $168.7 million deficit. MCTS is preparing for a second year of significant budget cuts amid a projected $15.7 million deficit in 2027.

The Committee on Finance approved Sinram’s appointment 5-2, with supervisors Rolland, Johnson Jr., Martin, Juan Miguel Martinez and Anne O’Connor voting to approve his confirmation, and Taylor and Bielinski voting against.

Full confirmation will require a majority vote by the county board at its next meeting.

Voting booths set up at Madison, Wisconsin’s Hawthorne Library on Election Day 2022. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, representing the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said in a filing with the 7th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals Thursday, June 18, that the federal government has no right to the state’s unredacted voter lists. (Photo by Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Trump administration U.S. Justice Department has no authority at all to demand Wisconsin voter records that it has sought in federal court, the Wisconsin Justice Department said in federal court papers filed Thursday.

In addition, Attorney General Josh Kaul and assistant AG Charlotte Gibson wrote, the federal government has shown no evidence to justify assertions that a flood of ineligible voters could receive absentee ballots to vote in the coming August primary election and November general election.

Representing officials with the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the Wisconsin DOJ filed a five-page response Thursday with the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, opposing the U.S. DOJ demand for Wisconsin’s unredacted voter list.

U.S. District Judge James Peterson dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking the list May 21. The U.S. DOJ appealed the dismissal more than three weeks later with the 7 th Circuit on June 12, and the appeals court directed Wisconsin to file its response by Thursday.

In his dismissal ruling, Peterson declared that the unredacted voter list the DOJ has demanded isn’t a record the federal justice department can demand under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. The list contains voters’ personal information including birthdays, Social Security numbers and driver’s license details.

The Trump administration filing asked for “an expedited appeal” in order “to investigate Wisconsin’s compliance with federal law regarding voter registration under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).”

Wisconsin’s reply Thursday said Congress hasn’t granted the U.S. DOJ the power to “regulate Wisconsin’s voter list” under either the NVRA or HAVA. The feds have no regulatory authority under those two laws, the Wisconsin reply states.

Moreover, where Wisconsin is concerned, “US DOJ has even less to say: Wisconsin is exempt from NVRA’s list maintenance provisions because Wisconsin has offered same-day voter registration since 1994,” the Wisconsin response states.

In its appeal, the U.S. DOJ declared that among the hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots that will be sent to voters for the Nov. 3 elections, “many of those ballots” would go “potentially … to ineligible voters, fraudulent registrants, or other individuals who should not have been registered. Wisconsin voters need to know that their election is secure and that non-citizens, deceased individuals, former residents, non-residents, and voters with multiple records are not registered to vote in that election.”

Wisconsin dismissed that claim as unsubstantiated.

“US DOJ has presented no evidence that Wisconsin is rife with ineligible voters. Its motion asserts that ‘potentially’ ineligible people may vote.” Such “an unsupported, potential harm” doesn’t justify an emergency action such as the feds are seeking, the Wisconsin response declared.

The response said that with only a few months before the election, the U.S. Supreme Court has warned against “modifying election procedures this close to elections” to avoid voter confusion and to avoid discouraging voters from going to the polls.

Groups intervening in the cases responded as well on Thursday.

Law Forward, the Wisconsin democracy-focused nonprofit law firm, said in its response that the U.S. DOJ failed to show “good cause” for its demand.

“And despite the Appellant’s fact-free innuendo,” the U.S. DOJ “does not allege — let alone provide any actual proof of — any supposed ‘ineligible voters remaining on [Wisconsin’s] voter rolls,’” stated Law Forward’s response, representing the nonpartisan voting rights group Common Cause.

A response for the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans and Forward Latino argued that the U.S. “DOJ’s lackadaisical pace in this litigation belies any need to expedite” the case. The groups are represented by Elias Law Group in Washington, D.C., an election- and voting rights-focused firm that works with progressive organizations.

The U.S. DOJ has made “baseless insinuations that upcoming elections will not be ‘secure’ if it does not get unprecedented access to personal voter information,” the response stated. “That unsubstantiated allegation is absurd.”

The federal lawsuit against Wisconsin “is one of 31 similar lawsuits commenced by [U.S.] DOJ as part of its unprecedented campaign to amass personally identifying information about every registered voter in the country,” the interveners’ response stated. “All eight federal courts to address DOJ’s claims to date have dismissed them,” with the dismissals now under appeal.

Wisconsin, outside groups urge appeals court to reject US demand for state’s voter list was originally published by Wisconsin Examiner.

People walk past electric scooters parked on a sidewalk Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in downtown Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Some Wisconsin communities are considering placing restrictions on electric bikes and scooters.

Waukesha’s Common Council could soon discuss an ordinance to regulate the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in the city. The mayor of Muskego said a city committee may draft a measure aimed at limiting the use of e-transportation devices there.

The West Bend Common Council just passed an ordinance banning people over 16 from riding e-bikes on city sidewalks. The police chief for the city of Chetek in Barron County also recently announced e-scooters and golf carts are banned from operating on county roads within the city.

Meanwhile, a Milwaukee man was hospitalized this week after he was hit by someone riding a Lime scooter in downtown Milwaukee. The person who hit the man has been charged with second degree reckless injury, a felony. A criminal complaint said he was riding the scooter on the sidewalk.

That incident prompted Milwaukee Alder Robert Bauman to push for a review of “safety protocols in our scooter program.”

“I have to say, I wasn’t particularly surprised, because this has been a potentiality since the day scooters were introduced in Milwaukee,” Bauman said.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announces the start of the 2022-2023 Milwaukee electric scooter pilot study on Sept. 9, 2022. Evan Casey/WPR

In Muskego, Mayor Rick Petfalski said there has been a “huge uptick in the last year of the use of all types of e-transportation throughout the community.”

Petfalski said most people are operating e-bikes safely. But he said some young people are now riding e-motos, which do not have pedals and can travel at high speeds.

“They almost look like a little motorcycle,” Petfalski said. “There’s been a large amount of these that have been popping up throughout the community in the last year.”

Petfalski said a city committee could soon draft an ordinance that could limit where e-transportaton devices are allowed.

“It’s only a matter of time before, if we don’t do anything, before someone gets hurt, either the rider of the e-moto or innocent pedestrian or somebody on a regular bike or just walking down one of the trails,” he said.

In the city of Waukesha, Mayor Alicia Halvensleben said a common council committee will be meeting soon to discuss specific regulations around e-bikes and e-scooters. Halvensleben said she saw what happened in Milwaukee this week.

“I don’t want to see that happen here in Waukesha,” Halvensleben said. “I just want to make sure that everyone is safe, and sometimes that means that we have to put in some additional regulations.”

In early June, the West Bend Common Council passed an e-bike ordinance, which says that, “No user over the age of 16 years shall operate an electric bike on permitted sidewalks,” with the exception of a sidewalk that, “has been designated as a recreational trail,” or “For the sole purpose of accessing a crosswalk, recreational trail, or parking lot.”

A news post on the city website said riders who are 16-years-old and younger can still ride e-bikes on the sidewalk.

“Our goal is to ensure the health and safety of residents and visitors, not to prohibit electric bicycles,” West Bend Police Chief Tim Dehring said in the news post. “These bikes are heavier and faster than traditional bicycles, which can create hazards for pedestrians when they’re operated on sidewalks. At the same time, we do want to be conscientious of our younger riders and keeping them out of the street.”

Under Wisconsin law, e-bikes have three different classes.

“According to state statute, e-bikes and e-scooters are considered vehicles on Wisconsin roads, which means they must follow the same traffic laws although Wisconsin DMV does not require a driver license or registration for either one,” a news post from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said. “Always check before riding on a sidewalk or bike path and refer to the Department of Natural Resources for information on riding e-bikes on state trails.”

“Local ordinances may have additional rules for e-bikes and e-scooters,” the news post added.

Milwaukee alder wants review of city scooter program

The city of Milwaukee has an electric scooter rental program. Last year, riders used the Lime scooters for 1.2 million trips in the city, according to an annual report.

There were 266 scooter program complaints reported to the city’s Department of Public Works last year, with 16 percent of those complaints regarding sidewalk riding.

Bauman said sidewalk riding has been “rampant” in Milwaukee.

“Now we’ve seen what can result from that,” he said.

Kelly Harrop, Senior Regional Lead of Government Relations for Lime, said the company lets users know that riding on sidewalks is prohibited in Milwaukee.

“Lime communicates that to riders through multiple channels, including in-app reminders, our in-app safety quiz- which requires users to affirm they will not ride on sidewalks- as well as stickers on every scooter stating that sidewalk riding is not allowed,” Harrop said in the statement.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he reached out to the city’s Department of Public Works after he watched the video of the incident. He said he still believes the city should have an electric scooter program.

“It still has value, it still has importance, but if there’s any other ways in which we can make it safer for … the users of it, but then also for pedestrians as well,” Johnson said.

Some Wisconsin communities considering restrictions on use of e-scooters, e-bikes was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Adams Hotel development. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Adams Hotel, a boutique luxury hotel created from a former office building, could finally be on the verge of opening.

The hotel’s owner and operator, an affiliate of Van Buren Management, has applied to open the property at 790 N. Jackson St.

The hotel was first proposed in 2020 for a four-story building overlooking Cathedral Square Park.

The development had reached “substantially completion” by May 2021, according to Van Buren.

But a lawsuit between Van Buren and the adjacent property owner, Northwestern Mutual, over the lease of a surface parking lot delayed the project.

The suit was settled in early 2024, with Northwestern Mutual selling the lot, 795 N. Van Buren St., to Van Buren for $1.28 million. Northwestern Mutual, in turn, purchased the Van Buren-owned office building at 732 N. Jackson St. for $2.2 million.

According to state business records, the hotel’s operator, Sconni Hospitality, is led by former Marcus Corp. executive and Visit Milwaukee CEO Paul Upchurch.

A 2020 floor plan showed two first-floor restaurants, 11 guest rooms on the second floor and the top two floors remaining unused, pending a future phase.

The hotel was designed by architecture firm RINKA. ADK served as the general contractor.

Upchurch, after this article was first published, said the company was in the process of preparing to open the hotel, but declined further comment until it was ready to accept reservations.

The building was originally constructed in 1920 to serve as a car dealership for the Wisconsin-Oakland Company (later Hokanson-Thompson), according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. The Jackson Street building was remodeled in 1959 into a general office building and again in 1982 when a now-demolished, two-story addition was added. Whiskey Bar, which closed in 2019, was the last tenant in the building.

The parking lot that was subject to the lawsuit was a relatively new creation and was previously occupied by a facility that today would draw its own level of public scrutiny: a data center. Northwestern Mutual demolished the two-story, 15,950-square-foot building on the site in 2014. It was originally constructed in 1961 as a data center for accounting firm Arthur Anderson.

Photos

Construction Photos

Pre-Demolition Photos

The interior of the Wisconsin State Capitol on Monday, July 14, 2025, in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

In a unanimous ruling Thursday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared undergraduate retention grants for certain minority students are unconstitutional.

The ruling is based on precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023 that significantly curtailed race-based college admissions.

Thursday’s decision by the state’s high court will end the minority grant program that was established by the state Legislature in the 1985-87 biennial budget.  Awards were based on financial need, with a minimum grant of $250 and a maximum grant of $2,500 per year.

The grant total in 2023-24 was $440,433 for 770 students according to the program’s 2023-24 annual report.

According to statute, a minority student is defined as a student who is a Black American, American Indian, Hispanic, or Southeast Asian from Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam admitted to the United States after Dec. 31, 1975.

Justice Annette Ziegler delivered the majority opinion.

“We conclude that the Taxpayers have standing and that the Grant Program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” Ziegler wrote. “Accordingly, we affirm the court of appeals’ decision that the statute is unconstitutional and conclude that HEAB (Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board) is enjoined from operating the Grant Program.”

The 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship and ensures “equal protection of the laws” for all persons.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty argued the case on behalf of “taxpayers.” In a statement Thursday the conservative law firm called the decision a “major win” for students.

“Race cannot be used to dole out scholarships and other financial aid,” said WILL Managing Vice President Dan Lennington. “This is also a big win for taxpayers, who can now challenge many other race-based programs in state court.”

Caleb Gerbitz, an attorney at Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols in Milwaukee who writes extensively about appellate law, said the outcome was all but assured following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2023.

“The question was always going to be how expansive a ruling the (Wisconsin) court would issue,” Gerbitz said, adding that the Court of Appeals has ruled that considering a person’s race is prohibited in nearly all cases when government funding is used. But he said Justice Ziegler’s majority decision is much narrower, holding only that this grant program is unconstitutional.

The liberal justices on the bench wrote concurring opinions saying they were bound by the precedent set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Jill Karofsky said she wanted to write separately to recognize the racial disparities in Wisconsin with respect to education, housing, employment, criminal justice and health care.

“Despite this longstanding commitment to education, Wisconsin still grapples with segregated and unequal educational opportunities,” Karofsky wrote.

“Clearly many students of color in Wisconsin leave high schooland enter college with distinct disadvantages. That disparity is not aboutstatistics or mere correlation.”

“Rather, that disparity is about a reality where past state-sponsored racism continues to affect educational opportunities, and systemic racism continues to rob non-White people of equal educational opportunities,” Karofsky continued.

“And as difficult and uncomfortable as that may be for some to acknowledge, it is the truth, and it cannot and should not be ignored.”

Wisconsin Supreme Court rules college minority grant program unconstitutional was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

U.S. Capitol. Photo by Martin Falbisoner, (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Two Democrats vying for a shot at defeating Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden courted party activists Thursday during a Democratic Party forum in Platteville.

The 3rd Congressional District race is considered a toss-up and seen as key to Democrats’ hopes of ending the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and slowing President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Democrats Rebecca Cooke and Emily Berge agreed on a lot during the hour-and-a-half long forum at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, located near the southern edge of the 3rd District. They agreed that policies from President Trump and Republicans who control the House and U.S. Senate have hurt Wisconsinites. Berge and Cooke agreed to a lesser extent on how to respond.

There’s around two months to go until voters in the 3rd District will decide who will face Van Orden, but national Democrats already made their choice in February. That’s when the House Democrats’ campaign arm added Cooke to its “Red to Blue” program aimed at flipping Republican-held districts, which came with staff, training and fundraising support.

Rebecca Cooke is a candidate for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District. Photo courtesy of Cooke campaign

It’s Cooke’s third attempt at unseating Van Orden, who defeated her by less than 3 percentage points in 2024. In 2022, she lost to fellow Democrat Brad Pfaff, who is now a state senator.

During the forum, Cooke discussed her upbringing on an Eau Claire County dairy farm, starting a small business and launching a nonprofit. She’s also worked as a Democratic fundraising consultant and has had no trouble raising money over the past year. All told, her campaign has reported bringing in nearly $6.5 million.

Former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge is vying against fellow Democrat Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District primary race. The winner will take on Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden, who has represented the district since 2022. Photo courtesy of Berge campaign

Berge is a first time candidate for Congress, after serving eight years on the Eau Claire City Council, including five years as council president. In 2020, she lost a Wisconsin Assembly race to Republican Jesse James by around 20 percentage points. Berge has been vastly behind Cooke in fundraising, bringing in a total of around $566,000 during her congressional campaign.

When campaign finance reform was brought up during the forum, Cooke said the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United, which struck down laws restricting political spending by corporations and unions, must be reversed. Berge followed up by taking a less-than-veiled swipe at Cooke’s financial support from national Democrats and political action committees.

“You can’t just continue to prop up the candidates with the most money and then funnel more millions to them,” said Berge. “That’s not how you get regular people running for office. They want regular people to drop out of the race if you don’t have the millions, and I feel that pressure every day.”

Different approaches to healthcare, impeachment

When it came to how they’d respond to Trump, Republicans and the policies they’ve passed since the start of 2025, Berge and Cooke diverged somewhat. When asked about rising healthcare costs squeezing residents in the 3rd District, Berge vowed to push for creating a public health insurance option.

“I believe that everyone deserves access to healthcare and mental healthcare, and we can only do that through Medicare for all,” said Berge.

Cooke said there are “things, aspirationally, I’d love to pen my name to” like a public healthcare option, but Democrats in the House aren’t likely to lead with that type of legislation if they win a majority. She said it’s more likely that Democrats will first introduce legislation to extend tax credits aimed at keeping Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums from spiking.

“I think that that’s more important right now, is to address those issues first and foremost, and things that we can do, actually very quickly, to be able to move the ball forward,” said Cooke.

While Berge and Cooke accused Trump of corruption several times during the discussion they differed on how they planned on holding him accountable. Berge said she would vote to impeach Trump if Democrats won the House to “bring him to justice.” When Cooke was asked if she would support impeaching the president, she said she would like to have more information.

“The devil is in the details on what that looks like, but I think there’s a lot of different ways in which we can find accountability,” said Cooke.

The 3rd Congressional District race is considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. National Republicans have been spending heavily on Van Orden’s reelection bid, and President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have all made stops in the district to support his campaign.

Democrats vying for 3rd Congressional District face off in candidate forum was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Judge Hannah Dugan’s courtroom on the sixth floor of the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Photo taken by Graham Kilmer.

Former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan will be sentenced on July 8 by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman.

Dugan was convicted of one count of federal misdemeanor obstruction of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Dugan was also tried on another count of concealing an individual from arrest but was not convicted.

The charges stemmed from an April 2025 incident at the county courthouse, when agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement agencies came there to arrest an undocumented immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, appearing in Dugan’s courtroom. Dugan spoke to the agents and later let Flores-Ruiz exit her courtroom through a side door.

Dugan tried twice to have her conviction overturned. Initially, Dugan moved for acquittal and a new trial, in part based on the split verdict against her and the evidence presented at trial. Adelman denied the motion. But a ruling in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in April created new case law on the charge of obstruction. Her legal team moved for reconsideration of acquittal, highlighting the recent appeals court decision.

Adelman recently issued a ruling denying the motion, finding too much difference in the facts and circumstances surrounding the case in the appeals court decision and Dugan’s own.

Dugan faces a potential fine or imprisonment of up to five years. She retains the ability to appeal her conviction to a higher court.

Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. Submitted photo from the Islamic Society of Milwaukee

A federal judge has found there is evidence supporting claims that Salah Sarsour, a Milwaukee man arrested by immigration authorities in March, was targeted for his advocacy for Palestinian rights.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Hanlon, a 2018 Trump appointee, ordered Sarsour’s immediate release from federal custody, saying evidence had been provided supporting “a substantial First Amendment retaliation claim, which could render his detention unlawful.”

Sarsour is a Palestinian immigrant who came to the U.S. more than 30 years ago. He is the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and on the board of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). He was arrested by federal immigration agents on March 30 and eventually transported to the Clay County Jail in Indiana, where he has been held since.

Shortly after his arrest, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement alleging Sarsour was “funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms,” and that his arrest and removal were related to his conviction more than three decades ago in an Israeli military court.

Sarsour’s family and supporters have argued he is being targeted by the federal government because of his advocacy for Palestine, that the federal government is smearing him, and that it has long known about his legal history in Israeli military court. They have also raised concerns about his health while in detention.

Sarsour is currently fighting a removal order in immigration court and has filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal court, arguing his detention is unlawful. Hanlon ordered Sarsour released while his habeas petition works through the court.

“This experience has been a nightmare to wake up to every day, with his health at risk in a cruel basement cell simply for speaking up for Palestine,” Sarsour’s son, Kareem Sarsour, said in a statement released by his attorneys. “But we know who my dad is — he’s a voice for the voiceless and the heart of our family and our community. I can’t wait to hug him, and I hope everyone like him will be released.”

In a lengthy order, Hanlon detailed the evidence marshaled to support Sarsour’s claim that he was being targeted by the federal government for protected free speech activities.

To begin with, the U.S. government has long been aware of the charges Sarsour faced in Israeli military court. Sarsour was born in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. His family claims the convictions for throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers were fraudulent, and that he came to the U.S. after being tortured in Israeli military prison.

Sarsour is a vocal advocate for the Palestinian people, particularly through his work with AMP.

AMP was targeted by the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, in a report called Project Esther. The Heritage Foundation is the same organization that created Project 2025. Project Esther charged that AMP was part of a terror support network providing aid to Hamas. Sarsour also ended up on a list maintained by Canary Mission, which purports to document people engaged in antisemitism. Sarsour’s defense charges it is dedicated to doxxing and smearing pro-Palestinian activists.

Trump administration officials have reportedly relied on both Project Esther and Canary Mission to target individuals in the U.S. for deportation. A majority of student protesters arrested by DHS were listed by Canary Mission. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memorandum to DHS in June 2025 claiming Sarsour’s presence in the U.S. “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest because his actions undermine U.S. foreign policy to combat antisemitism around the world as well as U.S. foreign policy to combat activity that supports foreign terrorist organizations.”

The federal government has argued in response to Sarsour’s claims that he was targeted for protected speech that it would be “remarkable, and surely unjustified on this record to countenance a claim that the secretary of state was motivated by bias and unlawful targeting.”

But Hanlon wrote that the federal government has not provided any evidence to suggest the secretary of state was not motivated by unlawful bias, nor has the federal government argued that the evidence presented by Sarsour doesn’t support the claim that he was retaliated against for protected political speech.

DHS asked the judge to impose a number of conditions on Sarsour’s release, including a $25,000 bond, an ankle monitor, check-ins with ICE and home confinement. Hanlon pointed out the federal government provided no evidence the conditions were necessary.

“Mr. Sarsour has no history of non-compliance and is well established in the Milwaukee community,” Hanlon wrote. “Mr. Sarsour’s entire family lives in the United States and he has not traveled outside the United States since 1998.”

Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell hands out candy during the 2023 Juneteenth Parade. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Summerfest is finally here! The world’s largest music festival is back and will bring hundreds of performers and thousands of fans to the city. But if navigating crowds and bouncing from stage to stage isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty of other events to check out. Pet Walk MKE will raise funds for the Wisconsin Humane Society’s programming down by the lake with live music, food, and activities like face painting, runs, talent shows and more. Milwaukee will also throw its annual Juneteenth Day Celebration on Martin Luther King Drive, a block party featuring live music, food, activities and more that will coincide with the annual Jubilee Parade.

June 18-20: Summerfest Weekend One

The Big Gig has arrived! Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival, is here and will once again take place over three weekends at Henry Maier Festival Park. Each weekend will be packed full of live music on both free and ticketed stages, entertainment such as skateboarding and BMX demonstrations, vendors and more. Music highlights for weekend one include Third Eye Blind, Styx, Braid and more. Be sure to catch featured local acts like Tiny Voices, Trapper Schoepp and Barely Civil and don’t forget to check the Summerfest website to find out about admission promotions like the Neighborhood House Food Drive on Friday, where guests who bring three shelf-stable food items for donation between noon and 3 p.m. will be admitted for free.

June 19: Juneteenth Day Celebration

Milwaukee’s annual celebration of African American freedom and achievement will bring games, soul food, live music and more to several blocks on N. Martin Luther King Drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration will also feature a parade with floats, dance teams, marching bands and more, kicking off at 9 a.m. The parade will start at 8th Street and travel southeast on Atkinson Avenue and then south down Martin Luther King Drive. For more information, visit the Juneteenth Milwaukee website.

June 20: Pet Walk MKE

The Wisconsin Humane Society’s largest run/walk and outdoor celebration will bring pets and their owners to Veterans Park for an event that helps fund the organization’s programming. On top of the timed 5k run/walk and the one-mile stroll, guests can enjoy live music, family-friendly activities, food vendors and more. Guests can also participate in raffles and enter their furry friends into costume contests and talent shows. Pet Walk MKE is free to attend and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more info, visit the Wisconsin Humane Society’s website.

June 21: Milwaukee Makers Market

Over 40 small local businesses will set up shop at the American Family Field as part of the Milwaukee Makers Market. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., guests can shop handmade goods, furniture, vintage clothing and more at the Brewers’ stadium. For more information, visit the Milwaukee Makers Market website.

June 21: Keg Stand Up

Lakefront Brewery will transform into a comedy club for the evening as part of the brewery’s recurring Keg Stand Up event series. A lineup of comedians will take to the stage from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., delivering laughs while guests can order from the brewery’s full lineup of craft beverages. And while the brewery’s kitchen will be closed, those who get hungry can still order snacks from the bar. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Lakefront Brewery’s website.

June 21: Cafe Sopra Sare

If at this point you haven’t had your fill of live music outdoors, the Villa Terrace’s Sopra Mare daytime concert series is back, bringing live music performances to the museum’s courtyard. The free concert series will kick off with a performance by classical guitarist Louis Cucunato. During the concert, the museum and gardens will be free to access. Villa Terrace will also offer complimentary coffee and encourages guests to bring their own coffee, if preferred. Sopra Mare will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Site of proposed Luxe Pour Studio, 765 N. Jackson St. Photo taken June 17, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.

A visit to Luxe Pour Studio will begin with one simple question: “What do you need today?”

At the soon-to-open candle bar, 765 N. Jackson St., the answer will help guide everything that follows.

Apothecary bottles line the studio’s wall-to-wall shelves, their custom labels noting descriptors like love, energy and calm. Visitors will use those blends as a starting point to create their own candles.

“The whole idea is that people are being intentional about the mood they’re looking for,” said owner Adrienne Reese. “Whether it’s focus, joy, relaxation — we have already put scents together that help create that mood.”

Alongside custom scents, visitors can personalize their creations with coloring, florals and shimmery mica powder. They’ll also be encouraged to fill out intention cards, curate an on-theme playlist and snap photos by a decorated selfie wall while the finished product cures.

Candles at Luxe Pour Studio are made in colorful, 16-ounce glass jars, which Reese said is larger than those typically offered at candle bars.

The studio space, once home to a salon and spa, is still taking shape. Reese plans to add artwork and decor, refine displays and bring in additional seating before opening. Once complete, the candle bar will feature two main tables accommodating up to 16 guests at a time, and a bar area reserved for walk-ins.

Sessions will last approximately two hours, Reese said, with booking options for private events also available.

The candle bar will pour more than just wax, offering a selection of red and white wine, along with champagne for guests to sip during the experience.

Luxe Pour Studio will be the second venture for Reese, who also owns Grey House Studio in Wauwatosa. She took over the turnkey operation in 2024, beginning a new professional chapter after 15 years in higher education.

“I had been putting it out there … that I wanted to go back into entrepreneurship,” she said. “I wanted a space to create experiences for people.”

Reese knew creativity would be central to the business. “I’ve been a crafter since I can remember,” Reese said. “Woodshop and home economics back in elementary school, those were all my favorite things.”

Unsurprisingly, candles are among Reese’s favorite crafts. “It started with the love of candles,” she said of the proposed business, adding that she was once a participant in the workshops she’ll soon be leading.

“When I first started, I wasn’t necessarily looking for the best, I was looking for the cheapest,” she said. “I never knew there was a difference.”

Now, Reese seeks out high-quality wax and scents, and is working to perfect the process to achieve “a really good, solid candle.”

She’s also picked up some interesting tidbits throughout her research. “I share stories with people as we learn the candle experience, like the history of candle making. I talked about the wax, I talked about the different scents, and how they trigger memories, and it just became a whole experience.”

“It’s been great. It’s been a wonderful ride,” she added. “It’s been more than I could have asked for or imagined.”

Reese is awaiting final city approval for the business before setting an official opening date. Additional updates and information will be shared through the studio’s website and social media.

The business’s hours of operation, subject to change, are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Luxe Pour Studio would join several existing candle-making businesses in Milwaukee, including Glassnote Candle Bar on S. 2nd Street, Bleu Lux Candle Bar on W. Burleigh Street and C.B. Apothecary on N. Broadway.

Photos

Participants at the Capitol event Wednesday marking Juneteenth conducted a libation prayer and performed songs to celebrate freedom. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Gov. Tony Evers, lawmakers and advocates celebrated Juneteenth on Wednesday, praising the progress the U.S. has made toward racial equality while also committing to continue to work to expand opportunity.

Juneteenth marks the official end of slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, enslaved people on plantations in Texas were not notified until June 19, 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to tell more than 250,000 enslaved Black people there that they were free.

“As we celebrate the critical progress that we’ve made, we also commit to continuing our work to build a more just, more equitable and a freer state and country for all,” said Evers, who is serving his final year in office. “Especially when there are those that would rather rewrite history than learn from it and as leaders in D.C. try to sow division and hate, we must remember that there is more that unites us than divides us and our diversity is our strength.”

“As we celebrate the critical progress that we’ve made, we also commit to continuing our work to build a more just, more equitable and a freer state and country for all,” Evers said. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in 2021 under a law signed by former President Joe Biden, although President Donald Trump’s administration removed the holiday, along with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, from the list of fee-free days at national parks. In 2025, Trump said on Juneteenth that there were “too many nonworking holidays in America” that were costing the country “billions of dollars.”

At the flag raising, community leaders delivered remarks about the significance of Juneteenth and honored Michael Johnson, CEO of the Dane County Boys & Girls Club, who died earlier this month. Participants conducted a libation prayer and performed songs to celebrate freedom.

“For over 160 years, this day has been recognized across the nation to celebrate the true end to slavery in the U.S.,” Evers said, crediting former Sen. Spencer Coggs and Rep. Marcia Coggs, who proposed the first bill to recognize the holiday, as well as state Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison), Annie Weatherby-Flowers and other advocates for getting the state to recognize the day. “Unfortunately, it took us another two decades for us to get it right and become the 32nd state to formally recognize Juneteenth. We’re not turning our backs now.”

Wisconsin has recognized Juneteenth since 2009, but Evers first raised the Juneteenth flag over the state Capitol in 2020. Wednesday’s was his seventh and final flag-raising. He called the holiday a “reminder that the human spirit cannot be silenced and freedom will always triumph.”

The Juneteenth flag includes a star in the center to represent Texas, the Lone Star State, as well as a nova to signify a new beginning and freedom for Black Americans. The red, white and blue colors represent that enslaved people and their descendants are Americans and shall be forever free.

Camden Hargrove, an alderman from the city of Menomonie and the first Black, openly trans man elected to public office in Wisconsin, said the flag is a “symbol that reminds us all of our responsibility — our responsibility to make sure all children have equal opportunities, our responsibility to build each other up so we can all thrive, our responsibility to protect and expand democracy.”

The flag will temporarily replace the Progress Pride flag, which Evers raised over the Capitol on June 1, because there isn’t enough room on the East Wing flag pole for more than three flags. The U.S. flag and Wisconsin state flag will continue flying alongside the Juneteenth flag. The POW-MIA flag will also continue flying on the North Wing flagpole.

The Juneteenth flag will stay up until June 21.

The Juneteenth flag flies over the Wisconsin State Capitol on June 17, 2026. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examinr)

Other elected officials at the celebration included state Treasurer John Leiber, a Republican, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, state Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee), who chairs the legislative Black caucus and state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee).

Drake said the day is more than just a holiday.

“It is a reminder of the ongoing struggle for liberation even beyond bondage,” Drake said. “Juneteenth was only the first barrier. We had to overcome retaliation against Reconstruction by the institution of Jim Crow, followed by mass incarceration and institutions meant to prohibit the advancements of African-Americans and now the attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Evers called the late Boys & Girls Club CEO Johnson a “force for good,” saying that he was always looking for new ways to lead and to support families and communities.

Johnson’s daughter, Micayla, said in remarks that her dad dedicated his life to advancing the ideals that Juneteenth are about: freedom, resilience and the ongoing pursuit of opportunity for everyone.

“We understand that freedom is not merely the absence of barriers, but the presence of opportunity, education, mentorship, and hope,” she said. “He worked tirelessly to open doors for young people and families, particularly those who had too often been denied access to resources and pathways for success. He believed that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves the chance to dream, achieve, and thrive in doing so. For him, this work was never simply a profession, it was a calling.”

She added that her father’s impact is “a testament to the belief that when we invest in people, strengthen communities and expand opportunities, we move closer to the future that Juneteenth calls us to build.”

Evers raises Juneteenth flag over Wisconsin Capitol, honors the late Michael Johnson was originally published by Wisconsin Examiner.

McGovern Park Senior Center. Photo taken March 4, 2026 by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County is opening two temporary sites for seniors to access the services and programming typically provided at the McGovern Park senior center before it closed last year.

The Embassy Center, 3725 N. Sherman Blvd., will host programming Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Havenwoods State Forest Nature Center, 6141 N. Hopkins St., will host on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Programming at the county’s six senior centers is provided through a contract with the nonprofit Serving Older Adults (SOA).

The McGovern senior center closed last year, a victim of the historic rainfall and flooding in August. The facility was in poor condition before the storm, and county officials estimate it will cost $1.9 million just to reopen the dilapidated building, let alone continue funding maintenance over the coming years.

“While the closure of the McGovern senior center following last year’s historic flooding has been incredibly difficult for the older adults who relied on that space, Milwaukee County remains committed to ensuring they continue to have access to the programs, services and community connections they deserve,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a statement Wednesday.

The administration began working on a replacement for the senior center long before it flooded in August. In spring 2025, the Crowley administration the existing senior center building with a mixed-use structure containing a senior center on the first floor and affordable senior housing on floors above. Developer Jewish Family Services (JFS) would have financed the project at no cost to the taxpayer. The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted it down because it involved building affordable housing in McGovern Park.

Now the administration is engaged in planning for a new center elsewhere on the northwest side of the county. In May, the Milwaukee County Board approved about $100,000 for planning and design. Early estimates suggest it will cost at least $7 million to build the new center and take several years to develop.

“While we work to develop a new permanent senior center on the northwest side, this is an excellent solution, ensuring seniors who live in the area have access to the programs and social and recreational opportunities they had before,” said Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain.

The new facility will incorporate ideas from the Commission on Aging’s conceptual plan for future senior centers. The plan, released in 2024, envisions modern community centers with greater programming and amenities called MKE HUBs.

Sup. Felesia Martin, whose district included the McGovern senior center, opposed the administration’s plan to partner with JFS. After the center closed, she pushed for money to plan a replacement at the board level. She expressed support for the administration’s temporary sites in the statement released Wednesday.

Francesca Hong speaks to the Milwaukee Club. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

State Rep. Francesca Hong, the Democratic Socialist running for governor, met Wednesday with some of Milwaukee’s monied elite at “the oldest and most exclusive club in the city.”

Hong, who is running a populist campaign to the left of a crowded Democratic primary field, was visiting The Milwaukee Club as part of a running speaker series that will invite U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in July. A few dozen club members attended the session, held over lunch, interested to hear the progressive candidate’s position on issues ranging from education funding to data center construction.

They filed into the well-appointed dining room, complete with a silver duck press, past the cigar case and an oil painting donated by Alexander Mitchell, a club founder who was once the wealthiest man in Wisconsin in 1860.

Some were members of the club’s political roundtable and attendees of the club’s informal investment lunch, liberal and conservative. Craig Peterson, a club member, public relations professional and former Republican political operative, said the club’s political discussion group is about 80% Republican, “but not MAGA.” Whatever their political leanings, members are individuals of “tremendous influence,” Peterson said.

Julilly Kohler, a major booster for the Democratic Party, said the room at the Milwaukee Club provides Hong exposure to Milwaukee’s top business leaders. “It’s a good thing to know these people,” she said, adding that it gives her a chance to normalize socialism, or being called a socialist, after many years of right-wing attacks that employ the term as an epithet. After all, Kohler noted, “The heyday of our city was during a string of socialist mayors.”

Hong is endorsed by the Wisconsin chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and is a member of the state Assembly’s Socialist Caucus. She’s for a billionaire tax, a wealth tax and a new progressive tax on family and corporate income above $1 million. Her policy platform, noted for its detailed positions, calls for a $20 minimum wage, guaranteed paid family leave, universal child care, a public health care option, tenant protections, affordable housing, a state-owned public bank and closing the estate tax loophole.

Hong is the daughter South Korean immigrants. Her father is a sociologist at UW-Madison and her mother is a public school music teacher. She attended UW-Madison herself, planning on a career in sports journalism, but fell in love with restaurants and the service industry while working her way through school. She became a chef and opened the well-regarded Madison restaurant Morris Ramen in 2016. As Hong tells it, she “opened a restaurant, had a baby, and formed a nonprofit all in one year.” She has since closed it to focus on politics. In 2020, she ran for an open seat in the Assembly after Gov. Tony Evers appointed Chris Taylor to be a judge in Dane County Circuit Court.

Hong’s ambitious agenda is premised on Democratic control of both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s mansion. She wants to rebuild state capacity to improve the lives of working-class Wisconsinites, focusing on health care, public education and state aid to local governments.

“And that change is going to have to happen within that two-year budget session. We are going to need people to start feeling and knowing and understanding that government can be a force of good,” Hong said. “I am, maybe obsessively, pro-public. I think public goods and public services are the way that we can allow people to find opportunity.”

Hong is running an unabashedly populist campaign and has in the past called out the Democratic elite for being out of touch with working-class voters. She said her campaign has “earned the excitement of many voters who have felt disenfranchised” and “we are in a political moment right now that demands ensuring that more people, regardless of political ideology, socioeconomic class, are coming together to vote for change in progress.”

She told Urban Milwaukee more than a decade of Republican rule in the legislature has not made the state stronger. Wisconsin needs better public schools and services, and that means “fair taxes,” she said.

So why campaign at The Milwaukee Club?

“Because it’s important that I speak with all voters, that when I’m invited to speak with people, especially if they may not agree with me on policies, that I want to make sure we find ways to agree on values and wanting better for everyone in our state,” Hong said.

Was she rubbing elbows with potential political donors?

“Maybe some of my campaign team wanted it to be calculations and building relationships with donors, but for me it’s about building relationships with anyone in Wisconsin,” Hong said. “I’m not selective about who I have conversations with. Someone wants to hear from me, I want to make sure I get to them.”

Milwaukee’s Capitalists Question the Democratic Socialist

Hong was asked about her democratic socialist politics and why she was running as a Democrat. She replied that the DSA is not a political party, that she is a “Democrat running on the Democratic ticket.” The Tiffany campaign has already tried to attack Hong for being a socialist.

“Our plan for free childcare, expanded public education, cheaper fair health care will make life easier and less expensive, more affordable for people,” Hong said.

One club member wanted to know where Hong would find the funding. The answer, Hong said, is in reassessing “both corporate and individual tax structure,” and “just like any budget, it is a combination of new revenue, cutting existing programs, and investing in and making the investments that are going to be higher yield.”

On education, Hong supports indexing per-pupil funding to inflation and greater “transparency and accountability” and less public funding for private voucher schools.

“We cannot afford to fund two school systems here in our state,” Hong said. “It does not mean that we’re closing choice schools, but we do have to look at a system that is siphoning public dollars away from public schools.”

Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) ventures, including the construction of data centers, is driving stock market highs, as well as bipartisan, populist backlash. Hong is the only candidate running for governor proposing a moratorium on data center development in Wisconsin.

She said her moratorium policy “is the position that I believe will help us to responsibly regulate the construction of AI data centers.” Hong said she has found that trade unions and developers working on data center projects agree that there needs to be regulatory changes, environmental protections and a reassessment of tax exemptions. The moratorium is a pause, providing time for regulation and negotiating power, she said.

A full moratorium on existing data centers, or those already under construction, could create “potential legal repercussions for the state,” she said.

John D. Emory, Jr., president of the boutique investment banking firm Emory & Co., sat at Hong’s table for Wednesday’s lunch alongside Milwaukee Club President Ken Dortzbach and event organizer Teresa Esser, scion of T.C. Esser Paint & Glass and founder of the angel investment firm Silicon Pastures.

Urban Milwaukee asked Emory what he thought of Hong’s moratorium policy. The data center issue is “white hot” right now, he said, and a moratorium seems like “too strong of an anti-data center approach.”

Peterson, the former Republican political operative, pressed Hong on past statements and positions that Republicans are likely to pounce on, such as her support for decriminalizing prostitution.

“I do not support legalizing prostitution; I support ensuring that all of our workers are safe,” Hong said, explaining that decriminalization is different from legalization and that decriminalization would prevent prosecution of children who are being trafficked.

What about adults, Peterson asked.

“I think, like regulating other industries… Sex work is an industry, just like any other private sector,” Hong responded. “There’s going to be resistance to regulation, and I think it’s one that we have to. Regulating an industry is going to require public policy.”

Peterson also asked about her past support for defunding the police. “That’s like a catch phrase that gets people all excited,” he said.

Hong said “public safety is a priority” and that these past statements “were listed on my Twitter account. These were things that I said, because we have to prioritize investing in preventing crime.” Hong went on to accuse state Republicans of actually defunding police by underfunding local governments.

“The state government and Robin Vos have been defunding local law enforcement by not having equitable shared revenue and giving state dollars to local governments, so if anyone’s defunding the police, it’s been the Republican majority in the state,” she said. 

Summerfest South Gate. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Summerfest opens Thursday, launching three weekends of music at Henry Maier Festival Park.

The festival runs June 18-20, June 25-27 and July 2-4. Although a general admission ticket normally comes at a cost, festivalgoers have plenty of opportunities to get through the gates for free.

Some promotions require a donation, receipt, identification or arrival during a limited window. Others are open to everyone. And Urban Milwaukee members have an additional opportunity to claim tickets, while supplies last.

Here are 14 ways to attend Summerfest without paying admission.

1. Summerfeast Grocery Promotion

Every weekend

Shoppers can earn two general admission tickets by purchasing at least $25 worth of Pepsi, BUBBL’R, Johnsonville, Koops’ Mustard, Monster Energy, Good Foods, Sargento and Connie’s Frozen Pizza products in a single transaction at Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market or Mariano’s between May 20 and June 9.

The original receipt must be presented at a Summerfest gate. A list of qualifying products and other details is available through the Summerfeast promotion on the Pick ‘n Save’s website.

2. Download the Summerfest App

June 18-20, noon to 4 p.m.

The first 15,000 people who download the Summerfest mobile app can claim a free digital admission ticket.

The ticket can be used before 4 p.m. on any day of the festival’s opening weekend.

[This offer appears to be sold out]

3. Stomp Out Hunger Day

Thursday, June 18, noon to 3 p.m.

Festivalgoers who donate three shelf-stable food items will receive free admission during the three-hour promotional period.

The donated food will benefit Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.

4. Show Your College Pride Day

Thursday, June 18, noon to 3 p.m.

Wear a shirt or hat representing Carroll University, Marquette University, Milwaukee Area Technical College, UW-Milwaukee or UW-Whitewater and stop at the Mid Gate promotions booth to receive free admission. Note that the offer only applies to participating schools

High school students can participate by presenting a valid school ID.

5. Northcott Neighborhood House Food Drive

Friday, June 19, noon to 3 p.m.

The first 2,500 people who bring three shelf-stable food items to the Mid Gate will receive free admission during the promotion on Juneteenth.

All collected food will be donated to Northcott Neighborhood House.

6. Diaper and Wipe Drive

Saturday, June 20, noon to 3 p.m.

Bring unopened packages of diapers and wipes worth at least $10 to receive free admission.

The offer is limited to the first 1,500 participants. Donations will support the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County’s Diaper Bank network.

7. Throwback Thursday

Thursday, June 25, noon to 6 p.m.

Customers who spent at least $50 at Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market or Mariano’s between April 22 and May 12 can receive four free tickets by showing their original receipt at the gate.

For everyone else, admission will be reduced to $5 during the promotional period. Select beverages will also be offered at half price.

8. H.O.G. Member Day

Thursday, June 25, noon to 3 p.m.

Members of a Harley Owners Group can show a valid H.O.G. membership card at the gate to receive free admission during the promotion.

9. Children’s Fest Day

Friday, June 26, noon to 3 p.m.

Everyone receives free admission during Children’s Fest Day.

The afternoon will also feature family activities and discounts on select food and drinks.

10. Military And First Responder Day

Saturday, June 27, noon to 6 p.m.

Active-duty military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians can receive free admission for themselves and up to four family members.

Participants must present an accepted credential, such as a military ID, DD-214 form, driver’s license with a veteran designation, agency-issued credential or qualifying police or fire union card accompanied by photo identification.

11. Make A Child Smile Day

Saturday, June 27, noon to 3 p.m.

The first 2,500 patrons who donate at least $10 worth of new or gently used children’s books will receive free admission during the promotional period.

Organizers are particularly seeking picture books and easy-to-read books for children younger than 10. Donations will be accepted at the Mid Gate promotions booth and provided to Next Door.

12. Fan Appreciation Day

Friday, July 3, noon to 3 p.m.

Admission is free for everyone who enters Summerfest during the three-hour promotion.

The first 30,000 people through the gates will also receive a ticket to Summerfest in 2027 and an entry into the festival’s “Big Win” drawing.

13. Freedom On The Fourth Food Drive

Saturday, July 4, noon to 3 p.m.

The first 5,000 people who donate three nonperishable food items will receive free admission during the promotion.

Donations will be collected at the Mid Gate for Hunger Task Force. Canned fruits and vegetables are encouraged.

14. Be A High School Student Going To College

Students who begin a free application for federal student aid, better known as the FAFSA, before July 4 can also request a free general admission ticket through the Milwaukee Education Partnership.

14. Become An Urban Milwaukee Member

Urban Milwaukee members have another way to attend Summerfest for free.

While supplies last, members can claim two complimentary general admission tickets to the festival. Tickets are limited and are expected to go quickly.

[The offer is sold out]

Minocqua Brewery owner and liberal activist Kirk Bangstad addresses reporters after filing a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court seeking to block former President Donald Trump from Wisconsin ballots, on Jan. 5, 2024 in Madison, Wis. Anya van Wagtendonk/WPR

Minocqua Brewing Company, the business run by the controversy-courting Kirk Bangstad, is suing the Wisconsin Department of Revenue after the agency seized 1,200 cans of its beer last week.

According to Bangstad, the agency claimed that the brewery did not pay about $500 in outstanding excise taxes for beers brewed out of state.

In its lawsuit, filed Friday in Dane County Circuit Court, the company argues that the agency is unfairly burdening the brewery for working with an Illinois contract brewer, and that his beer is being treated differently than other beers also produced by out-of-state contract brewers.

Bangstad also argues that the beer seized from both his Minocqua and Madison locations amounted to about $25,000 in damages.

Bangstad has a policy of not speaking to WPR. But in extensive posts on his company’s social media page, he argued that he had tried to pay his delinquent tax but wasn’t allowed to, and that the tax burden placed on his business model — selling beer largely online, rather than through retailers — placed him in a Kafkaesque bureaucratic quandary.

“We told (DOR agents) that we had complied with all of their demands since the beginning of the year, and had TRIED to pay the measly $500 in Wisconsin excise taxes, but they hadn’t let us,” Bangstad wrote. “Over the last several months of negotiation with the WDOR, they never gave us any indication that they would seize our beer while we were waiting to get the proper permitting to come into compliance.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Revenue did not immediately respond to WPR’s request for comment.

Bangstad has found himself in trouble with the law many times since he first came into prominence as a provocateur and anti-Trump activist during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April, he was questioned by federal authorities over posts he made indicating that he’d celebrate the death of President Donald Trump. Bangstad has pledged to pour free beer on the day that Trump dies, and sells merchandise advertising “Free Beer Day.”

Bangstad has also been publicly railing against the Wisconsin Elections Commission after it unanimously found he failed to submit the requisite number of signatures to get on the ballot as a gubernatorial candidate.

On social media, Bangstad argued that this latest scuffle with authorities indicates that he is being targeted by the state, and that Gov. Tony Evers might be behind the raid himself.

“I’ve been very critical of Governor Evers over the last year for not being proactive in stopping Trump’s regime from abusing Wisconsinites, and based my candidacy for Governor on forcing him to protect our upcoming elections from Trump’s slow-burning nationwide coup,” he wrote. “Since my liquor lawyer has never seen this level of punishment being exacted on any of his other brewery clients before in his career, I can’t help but wonder if there’s someone directing these enforcement agents to come down on me extra hard as a way to ‘teach me a lesson.’”

An Evers spokesperson said in a statement that the DOR enforces state tax and permitting laws, “regardless of who the actor is, where they are located, their background, or their political beliefs.”

“The governor expects his cabinet agencies to follow and enforce state laws, and he expects the Department of Revenue to continue doing the job they’re supposed to do,” the spokesperson added.

In a video posted to social media on Saturday, Bangstad also suggested that the Department of Revenue may have been reading his emails. Elsewhere on social media, he suggested that the Tavern League, the state’s powerful beer lobby, was guiding the DOR’s alcohol enforcement arm.

Bangstad has created merchandise poking light at the situation. He has t-shirts advertising drinking “bootlegged beer,” and another that reads “Al Capone has nothing on the Minocqua Brewing Company.”

Kirk Bangstad’s Minocqua Brewing Company sues state over beer seizure was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

dcJohn (CC-BY)

Public school enrollment is down in districts across Wisconsin. But a new report finds that having fewer students does not necessarily mean lower costs for schools.

Over the past 15 years, public school enrollment in Wisconsin has dropped by more than 9 percent, according to data from the Department of Public Instruction.

“That is largely contributed to by declining birth rates,” Sara Shaw, deputy research director for Wisconsin Policy Forum, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “And it means a real financial crunch for school districts because as they lose students, they also lose the funding that would come with those students.”

Shaw is one of the researchers behind the report, which looks at the ripple effects of declining K-12 enrollment and the difficult budget decisions school districts face while trying to maintain services with lagging funding.

The report found that Wisconsin schools are serving around 80,000 fewer students now than they did in 2011 for a total drop of 9.2 percent, with the decline projected to continue.

During that same time period, the number of public schools declined by only 3.2 percent.

“One of the biggest misperceptions about shifting enrollments or declining enrollments is that you can easily save money with them,” said Erica Turner, a professor in education policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “If you have a class of 25 kids and five students are no longer there, you still need a teacher and you still need a school building.”

What was more surprising to Shaw and her colleagues is that despite falling enrollments, school staffing has increased 7 percent. The most growth was in paraprofessionals, also known as teachers’ aides, and non-classroom jobs in school administration or counseling.

District leaders that the researchers interviewed said this higher staff-to-student ratio is due to increased student need in areas like special education, English language learning and mental health services.

Spending on special education is on the rise throughout Wisconsin. Public schools are required by federal law to provide these services for students, but “it doesn’t come with sufficient money,” Turner said. Schools “have to make up the extra through their budgets.”

The state currently reimburses special education services at a rate of 35 percent, which educators and disability advocates say isn’t enough.

Last month, Gov. Tony Evers struck a budget deal with Republicans in the state Legislature that included $300 million for special education funding. It would have raised the reimbursement rate to 42 percent for the 2025-26 academic year and 50 percent in 2026-27, but the deal failed to pass the state Senate.

Some districts move to closing, consolidating schools

One option for schools struggling with declining enrollments and tight budgets is to close school buildings or merge districts. In November, Republicans in the state Legislature introduced a series of bills aimed at incentivizing school districts to consolidate. The proposal failed to pass the Senate in March.

The last time a school district consolidated in Wisconsin was in 2018, when the Friess Lake and the Richfield Joint 1 School Districts combined to become the Holy Hill Area School District. It was a major undertaking, former Superintendent Tara Villalobos told Education Week. “We had a lot of huge rocks that needed to be moved,” Villalobos said. “It was all kinds of things that, as an administrator, had never been on my radar.”

School closures and mergers within a district are more common. The Waukesha School District, which is the seventh-largest in the state, is in the process of combining and closing multiple elementary and middle schools after months of community debate.

School enrollment has declined more than 25 percent in the district, Superintendent James Sebert told WPR, with an annual 2 percent decline projected for the next decade.

After a series of public input sessions, the school board voted to close two elementary schools and one of its three middle schools.

“We think we can continue to have great results, and just do it in fewer buildings,” Sebert said. “The building is less important than the people in the buildings.”

Not everyone is happy, though. One parent told FOX6 News that community members feel “like the rug was swept right underneath them.”

It’s not unusual for families and communities to feel a strong connection to their local school, Shaw said.

“I had a colleague once who (said) the hardest animal to kill is the school mascot,” she said. “There is just a lot of community identity wrapped up in individual schools. Closing them, consolidating them is very hard.”

For his part, Sebert is grateful the Waukesha School District is debt-free as of April and does not need to raise revenue through referendums in the near future.

But as costs rise and enrollments decline around the state, many other districts will find themselves turning to operating referendums, which may or may not pass. This creates “troubling gaps in funding between districts,” according to the report.

“This problem is not going away,” Shaw said.

Wisconsin’s K-12 schools face declining enrollment, rising costs was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson

As President Donald Trump touts his deal with the Iranian government to end the ongoing war and resume oil shipments, Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin say they don’t like the outcome.

During a press conference at the G7 Summit in France Wednesday, Trump discussed some of the terms in a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran. He said Iran will get access to $300 billion for reconstruction, but clarified the money wouldn’t come from America. Economic sanctions against Iran will be dropped, Trump said, and the country will be allowed to have “some” of its ballistic missiles. Those have been used to attack Israel and neighboring countries.

Trump said Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and the 60-day deal will allow hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Johnson and Baldwin have been miles apart on where they stand on Trump’s war with Iran, but both of them have voiced frustration about the proposed agreement.

Baldwin: ‘President Trump has not reached a deal with Iran’

During a virtual press conference Wednesday, Baldwin called the military conflict an “illegal war” of choice from Trump that is driving up costs of fuel and fertilizer for Wisconsin residents and farmers. She said the memorandum of understanding isn’t anything more than a “deal to keep talking about a deal over the next 60 days.”

“Now he’s claiming victory without even sharing what his plan is for a temporary solution,” said Baldwin. “That’s why Donald Trump’s wink and nod promise is simply not enough. Wisconsin families need details and a guarantee that this expensive and unnecessary war is over once and for all.”

She criticized Trump for backing out of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by former Democratic President Barack Obama in 2015 during the Republican’s first presidential term.

Despite the current military actions being paused, Baldwin said she and her fellow Senate Democrats will continue pushing votes on a war powers resolution to force the war to a close. A vote on that resolution failed in the Senate Tuesday.

Johnson: ‘I don’t like the final outcome here’

Johnson and other Republicans have claimed Iran has been at war with the U.S. for nearly 50 years. He’s said he appreciates that Trump made the tough decision to take military action and called on the president to “finish the job” last month.

During a Tuesday interview with Bloomberg, Johnson said he hoped the war would have weakened the regime enough that the Iranian people would rise up and topple it.

“That didn’t happen,” said Johnson.

At the time of his Bloomberg interview, Johnson said he hadn’t seen the terms of the deal, but mentioned the Trump administration will be unfreezing Iran’s financial assets.

“I don’t like the final outcome here,” said Johnson. “I’m sure President Trump doesn’t like the outcome. He would have liked unconditional surrender. It didn’t happen. The Iranian people weren’t able to rise up, and we would have had to introduce American ground troops, and there simply wasn’t the support.”

Johnson said the U.S. did degrade Iran’s nuclear capability, navy, ballistic missiles and drones, but “didn’t eliminate them” or the country’s Revolutionary Guard or Basij police force.

“We can keep them in a box,” said Johnson. “We’ve got to continue to be wary of them. We have to keep monitoring them. They make a move toward those nuclear sites, we ought to bomb the crap out of them again.”

Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin uneasy about deal to end Iran war was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Sofi Tukker at Summerfest in 2023. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

We are out of Summerfest tickets

If there’s one thing Milwaukeeans love during the summer, it’s being outdoors, enjoying a cool lake breeze. And if they can enjoy it with a cold beer and some great music, all the better. Good thing Summerfest starts this week.

When it comes to food, the Big Gig will have all your favorites, plus some new stops and treats. So if you’ve been waiting all year to munch on Saz’s Sour Cream and Chive Fries, you won’t be disappointed. If you want to try something new, you can check out some new vendors, such as The Wisconsin Table, Wild Dog and Montacos Taqueria.

And of course, Summerfest is all about the music. It has a diverse lineup of over 600 artists, offering (at least) one performance to suit every taste. From Ed Sheeran to DJ Jazzy Jeff and Post Malone to Lisa Loeb, Summerfest hits all the notes.

We want our Urban Milwaukee members to enjoy the music, beer and food at Summerfest, so we are happy to announce we have a limited number of free tickets available to Summerfest!

Urban Milwaukee members may reserve up to two tickets, worth $33 per ticket, while supplies last.

Members can visit the product page to claim your ticket(s).

Members must be logged in to claim any tickets. Your ticket(s) will be available to pickup at Urban Milwaukee: The Store, 755 N. Milwaukee St. during normal store hours, or we are happy to mail them to you. Tickets must be picked up by July 1 at 6 p.m.

The 58th Summerfest will take place over the course of three weekends: June 18 through 20, June 25 through 27 and July 2 through 4. Visit the Summerfest website for more information, including the lineup, venders and more.

Not a Member, But Want to Join!

Urban Milwaukee offers the city’s most robust membership program, with many perks like this one. By becoming a member, not only will you help support Urban Milwaukee’s journalism, but you’ll help us continue to grow our publication, which publishes more than 75 stories and 100 press releases per week.

This event is only one of the great perks of becoming an Urban Milwaukee member. Here are just a few others:

• Completely ad-free content on our website and a configurable email newsletter
• Bypass the paywall and get access to all Urban Milwaukee stories
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• A chance to provide the support that assures Urban Milwaukee can continue focusing on smart, substantive news coverage rather than clickbait
• Free tickets to concerts, festivals, and other great events as they become available through our partners
• A 10% discount on all merchandise at Urban Milwaukee: The Store
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All of this is just $9/month, or $99 per year. Signing up is easy, and you are welcome to cancel at any time. Join us today.

John Menard Jr. Photo by Travisvanvelzen (Own work) (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

But since then his wealth has declined, to $20.5 billion in 2025 and, since then, plummeting to $16.7 billion, according to Forbes’ “Real Time Billionaires List.” Yes, they are updating their figures as you read this because, you know, the rich are getting richer at a rate never before seen.

Which must be galling indeed for Menard. As most members of Earth’s 400 wealthiest billionaires club see their wealth rise ever higher, led by Elon Musk‘s $1.3 trillion, placing him in a trillionaire’s club of one, Menard has, gasp, actually seen his wealth decline. He was passed as the wealthiest Wisconsinite by Diane Hendricks in 2025, today worth $21.7 billion, and has fallen further behind her since. The real-time rankings show a drastic decline in Menard’s once-golden global status: He has dropped from 37th to 174th-richest person on Earth. Sad! as Menard’s old buddy Donald Trump might say.

Menard built his wealth by growing the number of stores, expanding from Wisconsin to the Midwest and beyond, with an estimated 340 stores in 15 states, up from 150 in 2000. Still, that’s well behind the home improvement retail leader Home Depot, with 2,300 stores and 52% of the market, and second-place Lowe’s, with 1,700 stores and 30% of the market, while Menard’s is estimated at 4% to 5% of the market.

That’s a big difference in size, and it’s generally the bigger companies that win the race. Home Depot has seen massive growth in recent years, rising from $112 billion in 2020 to $166 billion today. Menard’s revenue barely grew during this period, according to estimates by Biz Times, and it is not adding new stores at the pace it once did. Meanwhile, Amazon has become the biggest seller of online hardware and tools, with Lowe’s in second. Amazon is taking away a lot of sales.

Menard didn’t just get rich by building the company, but also by paying everyone but him as little as possible. “Employees describe a system that feels built to extract extra labor at no cost,” Slashgear reported.

“In two multi-state class actions, hourly workers alleged they had to attend mandatory meetings and complete ‘In-Home Training’ off the clock — including passing required tests — without pay, violating federal and state wage laws. Those lawsuits also allege Menards made hourly workers clock out for sub-twenty-minute breaks and miscalculated the regular rate used to calculate overtime wages.

“In 2024, the Minnesota Department of Labor found Menards had deducted wages from an employee 103 times for pumping breast milk on the clock, then suspended her for speaking up. The agency issued a consent order requiring Menards to pay back wages and damages, implement policy overhauls, conduct a statewide audit, and pay a $15,000 penalty.”

Menard has been just as tightfisted with managers and executives. “Average Menards manager yearly pay in Wisconsin is approximately $58,973, which is 22% below the national average,” Indeed.com estimated.

The Slashgear story suggests Menard is also tightfisted about safety: “In 2017, a 27-year-old worker at a Minnesota store was killed when his forklift tipped over, trapping him underneath. Four years later, another tragedy struck when a 19-year-old trainee at a different Minnesota location was crushed by a collapsing stack of lumber during a forklift operation. His family’s wrongful death lawsuit claims he was left unsupervised to manage a load far beyond what his forklift could handle. Minnesota OSHA later fined Menards $25,000 after the 2021 case.”

These practices have led to expensive court cases for Menard’s. Two months ago, a jury in Eau Claire County returned a $5.5 million verdict against the company for a workplace injury caused by unsafe forklift practices at Menards’ distribution center, as recounted in a press release by the MacGillis Law Group, which represented the 46-year-old employee injured in the incident.

“The $5.5 million verdict is one of the largest known forklift injury verdicts against Menards in Wisconsin, and is a major victory for workers and workplace safety throughout the country,” the release noted.

Back in November Urban Milwaukee reported in more detail on Menard’s labor practices.

Menard’s has also faced consumer complaints: In December 2025, a court found the company guilty of false advertising and ruled it must make total payouts of $4.2 million to 10 states, in a multistate lawsuit that included Wisconsin and its attorney general, Josh Kaul.

It’s all part of the long-controversial life of a businessman previously captured in the Urban Milwaukee story “The Strange Life of John Menard.”

Milwaukee Police Department officer pulls over a vehicle on N. 12th Ln. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A proposal to change Milwaukee Police Department policy on high-speed chases is showing the limits of a 2023 state law change that stripped the Fire & Police Commission of its policymaking authority.

The commission, previously described as one of the most powerful in the nation, wants MPD to prohibit officers from pursuing suspects in select instances, but it no longer has the authority to change policy itself. The Common Council, which gained the ability to modify MPD policy with a two-thirds vote, appears unlikely to back the commission.

“The Milwaukee pursuit policy is dangerous and it’s dangerous because it’s too permissive,” said Bree Spencer, FPC vice chair, to the council’s Public Safety & Health Committee on June 11. “We know it’s too permissive because we are way off the national standard.”

Spencer cited 10 deaths from chases in 2025, including a person who died months later following a 2024 chase that left them paralyzed. Many of those killed were not involved in the chase.

“[Chases] should not be used as often as they are being used now,” said FPC Commissioner Krissie Fung. She suggested an expanded use of drones or other tools as alternatives. “There are multiple tools in the tool belt … I think it’s an oversimplification to pretend that vehicle pursuits are the only way to prevent reckless driving.”

The commission, by unanimous vote, wants MPD to stop initiating chases when it attempts to pull over a suspect for a non-reckless driving offense and the suspect flees.

“The intention isn’t to eliminate or prohibit chases in all or most cases,” said FPC Executive Director Leon W. Todd, III, who serves as the board’s non-voting secretary.

MPD data show the policy would apply to 15% of stops. Out of 970 chases in 2025, 111 wouldn’t have occurred, according to MPD’s analysis. The FPC, analyzing a different year, determined it would apply to about 15% of chases.

Police department data show that the nine deaths stemming from 2025 incidents were caused by six chases. More than 200 of the chases resulted in crashes.

The commission proposal comes as about two-thirds of chases involve reckless driving.

“We are certainly not arguing that we should stop chasing reckless drivers entirely,” said Fung.

But MPD, said Chief of Staff Heather Hough, is already taking steps to rein in chases and wants to see the effect of its latest policy change, which went into effect in February.

“Reckless driving is real and we want pursuits to be able to deter that activity,” she said.

The February change allows officers to terminate a chase without fear of discipline if they believe continuing the chase poses a risk to public safety. It also prohibits speed from being the sole factor for initiating a chase.

Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow said a StarChase GPS tracking system, which involves shooting a projectile at a fleeing vehicle to track it, is being installed on two squad cars in each of the seven districts.

Ald. Sharlen P. Moore is leading the push on the council to adopt the commission’s recommendation. “Last year, we had 10 deaths as a result of police chases. I can’t imagine what their loved ones will go through for the rest of their lives. I just can’t,” said Moore.

Moore and Fung both said the chases are becoming expensive for the city, though the City Attorney’s Office declined to state in open session what form of pending litigation the city faces resulting from chases. The city has previously paid out multiple six-figure settlements stemming from injuries or deaths related to chases.

But Moore found little support from her colleagues.

“Police were not the reasons for these deaths. They were following policies,” said Ald. Mark Chambers Jr., echoing a comment made by fellow committee member Ald. Peter Burgelis.

They also expressed concern about changing the policy shortly after MPD just changed it and asked why FPC was demanding the changes so quickly.

Fung said MPD and FPC were considering changes on “parallel tracks,” with the commission having heard several hours of testimony across multiple meetings. MPD, according to a letter from Chief Jeffrey Norman, also conducted public outreach through the community.

Because the FPC lost its policy making authority, the issue had to be relitigated in front of the council after the commission reviewed it.

Hough said MPD is committed to finding a way to improve the process following the 2023 law change.

The committee voted 4-1 to place the measure on file, recommending to the full council it be rejected. Moore voted against the recommendation, with Chambers, Burgelis, Scott Spiker and Larresa Taylor endorsing rejecting the commission’s request.

1663-5 S. 11th St. Photo taken Sept. 25, 2025 by Jeramey Jannene.

The South Side’s newest sports bar could arrive in time for the final games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Pending city approval, Macrina’s Sport Bar is set to open in the coming weeks at 1663 S. 11th St., offering cold beer, snacks, TVs and a “family-friendly” atmosphere.

“We want to try to bring something good for the community,” said owner Marcela Lechuga, adding she aims to offer a “safe and comfortable place where everybody will be welcome.”

Police Administration Building. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Common Council is on the verge of using its new authority to change the Milwaukee Police Department‘s operating procedures for the first time.

Act 12, the 2023 sales tax law, stripped the Fire & Police Commission of its authority to set public safety standard operating procedures (SOPs) and instead gave the council the power to modify SOPs by a two-thirds vote of its members.

Inspired by the conduct of federal officials in Minneapolis in January, the council is poised to require MPD officers to “intervene” when they observe another officer using force that is not compliant with state law or “beyond that which is objectively reasonable.”

A second policy change focused on high-speed chases was requested by the Fire & Police Commission and opposed by MPD.

The council-led policy change is part of a broader package of legislation aimed at preemptively responding to a surge in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Milwaukee.

“What this attempts to do is to have our police do more than absolutely nothing when ICE is here and uses excessive force or behaves unreasonably and inappropriately in the city of Milwaukee,” said lead sponsor Ald. Alex Brower when the Public Safety & Health Committee first discussed the proposal on June 11.

Brower said the Minneapolis police department did “absolutely nothing” as federal agents “murdered” Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

The Milwaukee policy change was first proposed in February as part of an “ICE Out” package.

“We are taking action to do what we can to address overreach from the federal government in our community,” said Brower.

Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow said officers could face discipline for failing to follow the policy.

“The City Attorney’s Office is satisfied that this version is both legal and enforceable,” said Assistant City Attorney Clint Muche.

But questions were raised on whether modifying the policy, SOP 460, would violate the collective bargaining agreements with the Milwaukee Police Association and Milwaukee Police Supervisors’ Organization. Representatives of the City Attorney’s Office declined to comment on this in open session.

Deputy City Attorney Naomi Sanders said notices were sent to the two unions on May 28, triggering a 30-day window, to meet and confer about the policy.

Alexander Ayala, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, said the policy puts officers in a bad position.

“There’s no way that any police officer can intervene and know all the policies that another jurisdiction or a federal jurisdiction has,” he said. He cited concern over things like chokeholds, which MPD policy now prohibits, but other jurisdictions still allow.

The term “intervene,” said Ayala, is “very vague and loose term here.” He said adopting the policy, as proposed, would likely violate the collective bargaining process.

But Brower said intervene could be as simple as turning on body cameras to create evidence.

MPD Chief of Staff Heather Hough said the department was “certainly not objecting,” but said that requirement is already made of officers present at any form of event.

The committee recommended the policy be adopted on a 4-0 vote.

“We’re trying to move forward,” said Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic. “That’s what residents and constituents are demanding.”

“This council has watched what has happened in other communities across the country and we are taking action to do what we can to address overreach from the federal government in our community,” said Ald. Peter Burgelis.

The proposal is sponsored by Brower, Dimitrijevic, Burgelis, JoCasta Zamarripa, José G. Pérez, Sharlen P. Moore and Robert Bauman.

Voces de la Frontera leader Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Milwaukee Turners Executive Director Emilio De Torre and Pastors United steering committee chair Walter Lanier testified in support of the policy.

Miles (left) and Zelda Quimpo of Ube MKE. Photo courtesy of the Quimpo family.

Ube, a violet-hued staple of Filipino cuisine, is gaining popularity in the local food scene, showing up in everything from craft lattes to scoops of ice cream.

In Shorewood, two preteens are spearheading their own purple reign.

Miles and Zelda Quimpo, ages 12 and almost 10, launched Ube MKE earlier this year. The cottage bakery offers ube crinkle cookies, muffins and brownies for pickup and has a busy schedule of summer pop-ups ahead.

The brother-sister duo has always enjoyed ube, which was ubiquitous in their Southern California hometown but harder to come by after they relocated to the Milwaukee suburb last summer.

“When we moved here, we were missing a lot of the Filipino culture and food,” said the siblings’ dad, Mike. “So I started baking with ube a lot more.”

“There was no other ube stuff here, except for drinks,” Miles added. “We decided that maybe we should sell something ube.”

Miles, like his dad, brings a love of baking to the venture. He handles more than 50% of the prep, though the whole family plays a role. “Dad always does the muffins,” he said.

Zelda heads up social media and branding for the business, creating fliers and editing videos to share with Ube MKE’s growing audience. “I just like making things,” said the aspiring graphic artist, who is working to master Canva and other design tools to complement her drawing talents.

In addition to their core menu of brownies, cookies and muffins, the Quimpos experiment with rotating specials such as banana bread, mochi butter cake and marshmallows. “We’d love to be able to do it at once and crank up the production, but we’re limited with space,” Mike said.

Ube, the Quimpos’ signature ingredient, is a yam variety native to the Philippines. Its flavor is commonly described as nutty and lightly sweet, with notes of vanilla and white chocolate.

“What makes it cool, I think, is the color,” Miles said. “Without any dyes, the inside is really purple.”

The yams are typically boiled, mashed and cooked with butter, sugar and milk to make ube halaya, a jam that is then mixed into batters and other desserts. The bakery remains centered on ube for now, but may eventually expand to other Filipino flavors, including pandan or kamansi, Mike said.

The siblings’ parents expressed gratitude for the community’s warm welcome. “It’s been kind of an overwhelming response,” Mike said. “We’re trying to make sure that we don’t get burned out, because we want to keep it fun for the kids. It’s gratifying to have that response, but also for them to learn entrepreneurship and what it takes to run a business. We can’t wait to see where we go from here.”

Customers can find Ube MKE vending every other Sunday at Shorewood Farmers Market, with weekly appearances set to begin in July. Preorders are available online. The bakery will also pop up at Uptown Get Down on June 25 and the ticketed Milwaukee Dumpling Fest on June 28.

Details on future pop-ups are shared via Ube MKE’s social media and website. Fans can also sign up for weekly newsletters from the siblings’ mom, Hazel.

Photos

Traffic passes by the Social Development Commission’s main office on North Avenue in 2024. The property was foreclosed earlier this year, one of a number of challenges the agency has faced in recent years. (NNS file photo)

The Social Development Commission was once again thrown into disarray Tuesday after a disagreement over whether Dessie Levy could participate as a board member.

Levy was appointed to serve on the SDC board by the Greater Milwaukee Committee last year.

But Jorge Franco, interim CEO and board chair of SDC, said Levy had been removed from the board and is unable to participate.

The anti-poverty agency has been embroiled in an escalating pattern of disagreements among the board.

Franco cut Levy off as she announced herself as a board commissioner during a roll-call portion of the meeting.

“I’ll address that in a minute in terms of you no longer being a commissioner, but I won’t get into that now,” Franco said.

Franco had notified Levy in May that she was removed from the board for exceeding the board’s policy for unexcused absences and said he was following a legal interpretation of SDC’s bylaws.

Levy and four other commissioners voiced their disagreement over that and other decisions and filed a request on May 28 for guidance from Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke regarding questions over the Social Development Commission’s governance compliance.

These commissioners also emailed a letter requesting guidance from Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel Scott Brown on June 1.

Commissioner Pam Fendt, who was among the commissioners who sent the letters, said she disagreed with Franco that Levy was no longer a member of the board and wanted that reflected on the record.

When Levy again tried to voice her disapproval, Franco informed her there was no public comment period in the meeting.

“I’m not public,” she responded.

Ongoing challenges for SDC

For decades, the anti-poverty agency provided services that included tax assistance, weatherization, child care and job training before closing two years ago. Since then, the board has continued to meet to address SDC’s loss of funding, lawsuits and debts.

In March, Franco said SDC had $2.4 million in outstanding debt.

Among those in attendance for Tuesday’s meeting was Amy Rowell, executive director of COA Youth and Family Centers. Rowell testified in a board meeting last July that SDC owed more than $153,800 in reimbursements related to the Workforce Innovation Grant.

Technical issues and more disagreements

Once things settled down and it was determined quorum was met, Franco attempted to move the meeting into closed session.

But, Commissioner Walter Lanier, who has clashed with Franco several times since being appointed to the board in January 2025, communicated through Fendt that he was stuck in the Zoom waiting room and unable to join.

Lanier was briefly in the meeting when it started. Franco attempted several times to call Lanier and add him back to the Zoom call but was unsuccessful.

Lanier eventually sent an email to commissioners, which was read aloud by Franco during the meeting, that stated he had been in the waiting room for 15 minutes and was moving on to other business.

“I look forward to the minutes. I am, though, disappointed. This is Milwaukee, not Washington D.C.,” Lanier wrote.

As Franco again discussed moving the meeting into closed session, Fendt reiterated her objection to Levy not being allowed to participate. She also questioned whether SDC was following governance laws, including those related to keeping meeting minutes.

Fendt said she hasn’t received meeting minutes in all of 2026.

Franco replied: “Dr. Levy is no longer a commissioner. We all have access to the bylaws. Minutes are always taken,  including this time now.”

Levy again attempted to speak.

“I have to defend myself,” she said before being removed from the meeting by Franco.

The board then had a brief discussion over a document that was shared previously with all members.

Franco then excused all non-board members and moved the meeting to closed session.

The board will meet again on Thursday, June 18 at 5:30 p.m. and will share the agenda on its website.

Meredith Melland contributed to this report.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Eagleknit Innovation Hub, 507 S. 2nd St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

National contract furniture dealer Henricksen has completed its move from Brookfield to a historic Walker’s Point building.

The company opened a 14,500-square-foot office and showroom on the fourth floor of the Eagleknit Innovation Hub, 507 S. 2nd St. Henricksen signs now adorn the exterior of the four-story building.

The new “experience center” serves as a workplace for Henricksen’s 25 Milwaukee-area employees and a showroom where potential clients can test furniture and explore workplace design options.

“We’ve always believed that the best way to show clients and partners what’s possible is to let them experience it firsthand,” said Chris Knoeppel, Henricksen’s chief growth officer, in a statement. “This move is a reflection of everything we stand for — the depth of our expertise, the quality of our partnerships, our commitment to the region, and our dedication to creating environments where people and organizations can truly thrive.”

Founded in 1962, Henricksen is one of the country’s largest privately held contract furniture dealerships. It represents more than 300 manufacturers and provides furniture, architectural walls and other interior products for offices, hospitals, schools, government facilities, senior living facilities and hotels.

The company previously operated from a building at 3070 Gateway Rd. in Brookfield. Henricksen announced the Walker’s Point move in October after selling the Brookfield property.

Its new space was designed by Kahler Slater. The office includes workstations, private offices, conference rooms, a design lab, studio spaces and a hospitality-oriented café.

The suite spans portions of Eagleknit’s historic structure and a contemporary addition. The older section retains hardwood floors, concrete columns, exposed steel pipes, beams and Cream City brick.

Henricksen said it spent four months designing a passage between the building’s two sections and reopening a long-covered skylight. Private offices and conference rooms were placed in the building’s interior to preserve access to natural light and exterior views for employees working throughout the space.

A courtyard with live trees and picnic tables overlooks Lake Michigan.

“This new space is a testament to the team we’ve built and the relationships we’ve cultivated across Wisconsin,” said Emily Hurd, Henricksen’s Wisconsin general manager and a company principal. “It sets the stage for everything we’re looking to accomplish in the region as we continue to grow our local footprint.”

Henricksen will hold a grand opening Wednesday, June 24, at its new office and showroom.

Indeed Brewing has previously used a portion of the fourth floor as a pop-up beer garden. Almost 12,000 square feet of space remains available for lease on the building’s top floor, according to a listing sheet from Colliers International.

The move gives Henricksen a prominent location within Milwaukee’s newly designated innovation district, which is centered in Walker’s Point and includes portions of the Harbor District, Walker Square and the Menomonee Valley.

Wangard Partners redeveloped the former Eagleknit Knitting Mills factory as a technology-focused office complex. Built in 1928, the building originally contained approximately 107,000 square feet. Wangard acquired it for $3.51 million in 2017 and completed a $30 million redevelopment, including a 30,000-square-foot glass addition, in 2021.

The redevelopment was designed by architecture firm Gensler and constructed by Findorff.

The Eagleknit building has become the home for a collection of technology companies, startups and community organizations, including workforce training nonprofit i.c.stars, Dan Beyer Architects, Tredo Group, REYN Engineering, Forward Community Investments and SRH.

Islands of Brilliance, which provides creative technology programming for autistic individuals, recently moved into a 3,000-square-foot space in the building.

Henricksen was represented by Jim Cavanaugh and Katie Brueske of Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke on the lease, and Wangard was represented by Jenna Maguire and Matt Fahey of Colliers.

Wisconsin State Capitol. Photo by Dave Reid.

Why are Republican legislators abandoning the Wisconsin Legislature? One in five Republican lawmakers — six state senators and eight Assembly representatives — have submitted paperwork indicating that they will not be candidates for reelection this fall.

The green bars in the graph below show projected votes in the six districts whose senators announced that they would not run for reelection. The length of the bars shows the projected gap between votes for Democratic and Republican candidates in each district. This is based on the difference in each district between the expected vote for a Republican candidate and a Democratic candidate, as calculated by the website Dave’s Redistricting.

For example, 17.67% is the predicted difference between the percentage of votes expected for a Republican candidate and a Democrat in Senate District 1. It is based on a sample of previous statewide election results. Positive numbers show an expected Republican advantage; negative values indicate a Democratic advantage.

Only two of the six Senate districts indicate a Democratic advantage — Districts 5 and 21. Of the remaining districts, only one, District 25, has a gap of less than 10 percentage points. In other words, four of the six districts would be classified as safely Republican.

Wisconsin Republican Senators who are not running for reelection

In the state Assembly, a similar story plays out, as shown by the next graph. Of the eight Republican members stepping down, only two, the 12th and the 53rd, look competitive. The other six Assembly districts are safely Republican.

Wisconsin Republican Assembly Members not running for reelection

The data contradicts usual expectations. Normally, one would expect that people dropping out of an election would come from highly competitive districts and decide they don’t want to run the risk of defeat.

On the Democratic side, the story is quite different. Only three Democratic officials submitted the Notification of Noncandidacy (EL163) form. Robyn Vining, currently representing Assembly District 13, plans to run for Senate District 5. Francesca Hong, currently representing Assembly District 76, decided to run for governor. Sarah Godlewski, presently Wisconsin’s secretary of state, plans to run for lieutenant governor.

In contrast to the 14 Republicans, each of the three Democrats submitting noncandidacy forms did so to run for another elective office. The Republican legislators are through with elections. What accounts for the difference? Several factors have been suggested, including:

• Electoral Shifts and Redistricting: New state maps made historically safe GOP districts highly competitive, forcing many long-term incumbents into tough reelection battles. But that affects only 4 of the 14 GOP lawmakers stepping down.
• A possible Democratic blowout: the average increase in the Democratic margin in 2025 special elections was 13 points. That could make another two to three of the seemingly safe seats listed above vulnerable to a Democratic challenger.
• The prospect of a Democratic majority: The newly drawn maps have bolstered Democratic hopes of flipping control in both chambers. For several senior members, running simply to serve in the minority was viewed as far less appealing.
• Financial and Personal Issues: The burden of raising a family on a legislative salary has become the go-to explanation for retiring from legislative office.
• Seniority and Health: Long-serving legislators noted that they had spent decades in office and wanted to prioritize their families and health.

So-called “safe” seats are not truly safe. In contrast to competitive seats, where the danger of defeat comes from the general election, Republicans in so-called safe seats have to worry about attackers from the right who accuse them of not being sufficiently conservative or sufficiently MAGA. Retiring Assembly Speaker Robin Vos nearly lost to a primary challenger in 2022, winning by just 206 votes. Most of these GOP retirements were announced months in advance of the primary election.

For half of the state senators, the upcoming election is their first under the new district maps. After years of enjoying a safe district with little change, they would almost certainly have to go door to door to introduce themselves to the new parts of their district.

The Legislature has become notably more partisan in recent years, with tight leadership control by Republican leaders. This makes it much harder for members of one party to work with members of the other party to improve the lives of their constituents.

As a result, the legislators lose their independence to do what is good for their constituents. The party comes first. The mass decision of veteran Republican senators and representatives to quit could be a warning about the future of the Republican Party. We’ll know more about that when the results of the November election are tallied.

High Voltage Power Lines. Photo by Corey Coyle (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

The Dairyland Power Cooperative says it will help improve the flow of electricity. Locals claim it could take their land, hurt cattle and they won’t be able to connect to the new power lines.

The project, which is partly owned by the Dairyland Power Cooperative, is called the MariBell Transmission Project, and statements from the co-op say it will help improve the grid and data center performance.

It will also require hundreds of newly built 200-feet-tall metal structures, heavy-duty lines, large scale construction and alterations to the area’s lands, according to statements from Dairyland.

Genoa farmer Tim Woodhouse, who is leading an effort to stop construction, says the power lines will not connect to the small communities that the proposed routes for the project will go through.

“Obviously, none of us saw this coming as far as a threat to our community — and  that’s how I see it,” Woodhouse said. “I see it as a threat.”

Stretching from Marion, Minnesota, to Bell Center, Wisconsin, the MariBell line is part of a larger project, covering hundreds of miles of power lines across both states, according to construction documents.

While the small community of Viroqua hasn’t been impacted yet, Mayor Krista Browne said it’s only a matter of time.

“We haven’t faced anything to this scale,” Browne said. “Because it’s such a wide regional concern, and it’s going to affect us all a little bit differently.”

In a statement, Dairyland said this is a section of the North Rochester-Columbia line, part of a larger infrastructure project by a group known as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO.

“The MariBell Transmission Project will help maintain a reliable, resilient and flexible power grid while delivering economic benefits to residents in the Upper Midwest,” a May statement from Dairyland read. Based in La Crosse, the co-op currently serves about 750,000 people across four states.

MISO says new power lines update and improve their system, while carrying more electricity. It was approved by the group’s board in 2024.

“With more renewable generation in the future, which is typically located long distances from where energy is needed among greater populations, the technology is ideal to facilitate large power transfers across the footprint,” a fact sheet from MISO on the project states.

Coalition group asks for injunction to stop project

One group has taken legal action over the proposed line in Vernon County.

In a complaint naming Dairyland and its partner GridLiance Heartland, the Coalition Against Maribel 765 lists a number of concerns — the impact to homes, farms and businesses; property values; and environmental impact.

Another major concern in the complaint is the size of the equipment.

They’ve asked for an injunction to stop the line.

Plans for the MariBell line call for steel transmission line towers approximately 200 feet high to hold the lines in place, according to MariBell documents. The width of the right-of-way for the power structures would be approximately 250 feet.

The project “would be the largest transmission line ever constructed in the state of Wisconsin and possibly in the Midwest,” the complaint states.

Woodhouse worries about eminent domain for properties along the proposed route, which includes many pieces of his own farmland or parcels owned by his family. The complaint identifies other homeowner concerns over cancer risk, stray voltage damage from broken lines, loud sounds and the proximity of the power lines to homes.

Woodhouse has lived in Genoa, Wisconsin, all of his life. His family has been in the area for generations. He expects the combination of effects from the project — potential eminent domain claims, construction, impacts to his livestock — to take a toll.

“It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I personally don’t feel like that my farm will sustain this, or my livelihood will sustain this,” he said.

Data centers drive energy demand spike

Larger transmission lines will route electricity for manufacturing and private consumption. But MISO has said the growth of new data centers is one reason they need the larger power lines.

Browne worries the power on these lines could travel right through the area, skipping whole communities and moving to larger areas and private data centers.

“I’m not against electrification. I’m not even against A.I.,” she said. But she added that she struggles to understand how this project benefits the public.

The MariBell line is expected to be in service in 2034.

Despite some listening sessions by the power company, neither Browne nor Woodhouse feel there has been meaningful engagement with the community by the company.

MariBell did provide a presentation to the Vernon County Board of Supervisors in February outlining the project scope and the approvals still required from Minnesota. The presentation says they will try to use existing right of way and minimize environmental impacts.

After filing the suit in Vernon County, Woodhouse said the anti-power line coalition is waiting on a court date. Locals hope for some guidance from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission on the project.

“That’s where the urgency is, that the PSC needs to understand how opposed real people are,” Browne said.

Group seeks to fight ‘largest transmission line ever constructed’ in Wisconsin was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, who similar to U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany drank from a glass of milk as she took questions, said Senate Democrats are targeting four seats to flip this year — two more than they need to win a majority. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said legislative Democrats, who are seeking to win majorities for the first time in more than 15 years, are talking about their priorities for the next session including school funding and affordable housing.

Hesselbein said at an event hosted by WisPolitics on Tuesday that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), who is retiring, has had a “stranglehold” for a long time and that she hopes new leadership will lead to “new ideas and a real true willingness to work together to get things done for the state of Wisconsin.” Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) is not running for another term in office either.

As they seek a majority, Senate Dems starting policy discussions

Hesselbein said Senate Democrats are targeting four seats to flip this year — two more than they need to win a majority. Republicans currently hold 17 of the 33 Senate seats, and half are up for election this year in newly drawn districts.

The seats include Senate District 5, an open district currently represented by retiring Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), Senate District 17, currently represented by incumbent Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), Senate District 21, an open district currently represented by Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), and Senate District 25, an open district currently represented by Sen. Romaine Quinn, who plans to run in a different district this year.

Hesselbein noted that in 2024 people said Senate Democrats were “too ambitious” in targeting five seats even with the new maps, yet they won all five in a year when President Donald Trump carried Wisconsin while Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin won a third term.

Hesselbein addressed the public falling-out between legislative Democrats and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers over a tax cut and school funding deal the governor reached with Republicans and most lawmakers refused to support.

Hesselbein said during the event that it was the “overall package” that made Senate Democrats vote against it and there were no political calculations involved. She said it was “unsustainable.”

Democrats will have more say in how the state’s $2.5 billion budget surplus is spent because of the deal’s failure.

Hesselbein confirmed that she was not involved in the negotiation process and it was hard to think about “hypotheticals” that would have made her caucus support the deal. This is not the first time Democratic votes have been needed in the Republican-majority Senate to pass a proposal because a handful of Republicans have opposed legislation.

After the deal failed, Evers said he was sure Hesselbein had “people wrapped around her finger by giving them jobs that they want” next legislative session. The majority leader gets to decide who gets which committee assignments in the Senate.

Sounding the same note as Evers in his unity address at the convention, Hesselbein said that Democrats are moving forward and that there are no hard feelings remaining after her caucus’ rejection of a Evers’ bill. She said her caucus is united in wanting to ensure the financial health of the state.

“Evers has done a good job for the state of Wisconsin,” she said.

“It’s been good,” Hesselbein said of the relationship between lawmakers and Evers.

On whether there could be another attempt to get a tax cut and spending deal passed, Hesselbein said “never say never” and that her “door is always open.” She added that no one has tried to contact her recently about the issue.

Democrats’ top priorities

Hesselbein said some of the big priorities for a Democratic Senate include “funding K-12 education, doing something meaningful for childcare, making sure that no matter where you live in the state of Wisconsin that you can afford a home.” Other issues, she said, are healthcare and the environment.

Hesselbein said it would be a goal in the next state budget to fund schools so they can make financial plans while taking some of the burden off property taxpayers.

“People really care about their community schools,” Hesselbein said. “They are sick and tired of these school boards…having to go to referendum over and over because they want to keep the lights on. We have schools closing all over Wisconsin and that’s a big problem.”

Hesselbein called the funding formula “convoluted” and said that some Senate and Assembly Democrats recently started meeting to look at the state’s funding formula, including looking at how other states structure their funding. She said they want to bring in people from the Department of Public Instruction and Bob Lang of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau to help.

“Is there something else that other states do that makes more sense than what we’re doing and what does that look like?” Hesselbein said she wants to ask.

On specific questions about school funding, Hesselbein was noncommittal.

“It might be something that we can’t get right now… but we’re starting to look at that. We’re starting to think of those things right now to figure out what we can do to make it more sustainable and equitable.”

Hesselbein said declining enrollment is a challenge for schools, but a bigger problem is that the state isn’t adequately funding schools. She said the state “possibly” relies on property taxes too much to fund schools, adding “but how else do you come up with it?”

“That’s the kind of conversations we’re having right now to figure it out,” she said.

Hesselbein also did not commit to offering free school meals as the state of Minnesota has done.

“It’s pretty darn expensive. We’re not sure if we’re going to be able to get all the way there,” she said, adding that the caucus is trying to figure out “what do we want to get done and how do we get there.”

Tackling the cost of living, land conservation

Hesselbein said Democrats are beginning conversations with developers and realtors about how to ensure that people can work and afford a home in Wisconsin.

“We’re just now starting those conversations now to figure out what we can do,” she said.

The Knowles-Nelson Conservation program is on track to sunset in June. Hesselbein said she is disappointed that Republicans and Democrats could not agree on a bill to reauthorize the program. She said there was only a “30-second” conversation about the popular land conservation program during the negotiations on the rejected tax rebate and school funding package.

“We absolutely need it. Knowles-Nelson has been around for so long and it’s worked so well making sure we have green spaces in the state of Wisconsin to enjoy,” Hesselbein said. “If Democrats are in charge and we have a Democratic trifecta, Knowles-Nelson will be back.”

Undecided on gov primary

Wisconsin will also have a new governor next year, who will help shape the state alongside new legislative leaders.

The seven Democrats who will appear on the August primary ballots include Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, state Sen. Kelda Roys, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes, former head of Gov. Tony Evers’ Department of Administration Joel Brennan and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.

Hesselbein said it is “exciting” there are so many choices.

She added that she, like other Democrats, hasn’t made up her mind about who she will vote for in August. She said she also does not know whether she’ll endorse anyone in the primary for governor, noting that she has served with several of the candidates in the Legislature including Roys, Hong, Rodriguez, Crowley and Barnes. She also said she wants to hear them debate. A candidate debate is scheduled for July 28, hosted by WISN-12.

“They’re all really good people,” Hesselbein said.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is running on the Republican side with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and the state party.

Hesselbein said having a competitive primary is a good thing, noting that Evers won a crowded primary in 2018 and went on to win two terms in office.

“I think it really lets the people of Wisconsin decide who they want to be supporting in the November election,” Hesselbein said. “I think it’s too bad that the Republicans put their thumb on the scale and Trump did in endorsing Tiffany early, I think it would’ve been better for them to have a robust primary as well.”

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein lays out policy plans for a Democratic trifecta was originally published by Wisconsin Examiner.

Jim Troupis, a Republican attorney and former judge, center, makes his initial appearance in court Dec. 12, 2024, at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison, Wis. Troupis, Kenneth Chesebro and Michael Roman were arraigned for charges related to their roles in the 2020 fake elector scheme that aimed to overturn Donald Trump’s Wisconsin loss to Joe Biden. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)

Three men accused of developing and implementing the 2020 “false electors” scheme pleaded not guilty to felony forgery charges in Dane County Circuit Court Tuesday.

Jim Troupis, who served as Trump’s Wisconsin campaign lawyer that year, entered his plea in person in Dane County Circuit Court, a week after filing a motion to get the case moved to a different jurisdiction, arguing he cannot receive a fair trial in Madison.

Two other defendants in the criminal case, former Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro and former Trump campaign aide Michael Roman, were arraigned virtually. They also pleaded not guilty.

Each man faces 11 counts of using false documents to claim that President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2020, when he did not. One charge is tied to the documents themselves; the other 10 are for each of the Wisconsin Republican electors whom prosecutors allege were defrauded by the men’s actions.

The three were charged in 2024 by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, for allegedly developing the false electors scheme, in which Republican delegates for Trump in Wisconsin and other swing states submitted official-looking documentation attesting that Trump had won states that he had lost.

Troupis and Chesebro have been accused of developing that scheme, using Wisconsin as a testing ground. They argue that they were maintaining all of Trump’s legal avenues while his challenges to state outcomes moved through various courts.

Troupis’ team recently filed briefs arguing that the publicity surrounding the issue for the last half decade has hurt Troupis’ ability to get a fair trial, and that one of the counts should be dropped because he was on a recent Trump pardon list of people involved in the false electors scheme. Chesebro and Roman were also on that list.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Mario White said that he is still considering those motions.

The Wisconsin Republican electors previously settled a civil lawsuit against them, in which they admitted that their actions were “part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results.”

Troupis and Chesebro also separately settled that civil lawsuit.

Jim Troupis, other accused false electors, plead not guilty in Dane County court was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

An engineering technician with the city of Milwaukee holds up a replaced lead service line on June 29, 2021. (Isaac Wasserman / Wisconsin Watch)

Wisconsin may be closer than previously thought to eliminating lead water pipes. About 164,000 municipal and community lead water service lines still need replacement with safer materials, according to a Wisconsin Watch analysis of water system data reported in April. That’s roughly one of every 10 municipal and community water lines statewide.

The estimate includes confirmed lead lines — roughly 146,000 across 137 municipal and community water systems — and an estimated share of service lines with unknown materials that are statistically likely to contain lead, based on EPA methodology.

Some data gaps remain, including some water systems that did not file a report on time.

Still, the total is far below previous government estimates as more complete inventories more clearly show where lead pipes remain, part of a nationwide effort to reduce exposure to the toxic metal linked to serious health risks.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2025 — before many water systems completed or updated their inventories — that nearly 180,000 water lines in Wisconsin were made of lead, a sharp drop from its 2023 estimate of over 256,000.

“We may be able to remove all (lead service lines) faster, fully, and forever – sooner and at a lower price tag than expected,” Erica Galante-Johnson, senior lead service line replacement policy analyst at Environmental Policy Innovation Center, wrote in a report comparing the lead service line estimate before and after new inventory data became available.

Why replace lead service lines?

Once a popular material for water service lines, lead was banned by regulators for such purposes in Wisconsin and nationwide beginning in the 1980s due to concerns about potential lead exposure.

“There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” the EPA’s website says.

Children are especially vulnerable to lead, since even low levels of exposure can lead to behavioral and learning problems. High levels of lead in blood can cause seizures, coma or death. Adults exposed to lead are more susceptible to cardiovascular and kidney problems.

Water systems limit risk by treating pipes with chemicals that reduce corrosion, but failures such as Flint, Michigan’s crisis a decade ago show how those safeguards can break down, exposing residents to lead.

That’s why federal regulators now require aggressive replacement timelines.

Municipal and community water systems must replace all lead or galvanized pipes before the end of 2037. Some Wisconsin cities, like Madison and Stoughton, have already replaced all lead pipes. Many others, including Eau Claire, Milwaukee and Wausau, have projects underway to replace them at no or low cost to homeowners.

At least 29 municipalities in Wisconsin have received more than $159 million through 2025 to replace lead service lines through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by then-President Joe Biden.

The EPA in May announced an additional $94.3 million Wisconsin allocation under the 2021 law.

Biden’s EPA revised its Lead and Copper Rule, tightening monitoring requirements and establishing  timelines for replacing lead pipes.

The first step: requiring water systems to document what’s underground.

More complete information helps identify where lead lines are concentrated, said Ann Hirekatur, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ lead and copper section manager.

The inventories are more than a bureaucratic exercise. Federal rules now tie them directly to replacement requirements.

Wisconsin water systems previously needed only to report estimates of their lead service lines to the state Public Service Commission.

Biden’s EPA changed that. Water systems were required to submit an initial inventory by October 2024, listing the best available information about each water line. That gave DNR officials line-by-line records for the first time, Hirekatur said.

By Nov. 1, 2027, water systems must improve those records by trying to identify service lines of currently unknown material and documenting connector materials. After that deadline, any service lines with an unknown material will be treated as lead, and water systems must start replacing at least 10% of lead lines under their control each year.

The new regulations require digging through historical documents — or even digging up pipelines one by one — to confirm the material and location.

The more rigorous process revealed more lead service lines in some communities than previously thought. That includes Whitefish Bay, which documented more than 56% of service lines as lead during the first draft of its inventory.

Locating pipelines can be challenging

Despite the new inventories, regulators still have yet to identify the materials in more than 181,000 Wisconsin service lines, or 12% of all statewide.

As of April, 312 of 610 Wisconsin municipal water systems identified materials in every service line. About 60% of systems recorded 5% or fewer pipelines as unknown material.

Meanwhile, 102 municipal water systems reported more than half of their lines as unknown, with 12 yet to submit inventories.

“Some systems kept good records, and some systems don’t have any records at all,” Hirekatur said.

Smaller water systems are less likely to know what their service lines are made of

The share of service lines with identified materials is much higher and more consistent among large water systems. Smaller systems are more likely to have incomplete records.

Each shape represents water systems in that size group. Wider areas show where more systems fall. Most large systems have identified nearly all service line materials, while smaller systems range from nearly complete inventories to knowing very little about their service lines. Source: WI-DNR. Hongyu Liu / Wisconsin Watch

Water system managers must show their work in documenting the makeup of service lines.

The best evidence is a “tap card” that describes the pipe’s primary features and installation history.

But many communities never preserved those records because they were not required to do so.

The city of Lancaster illustrates that challenge. Water system officials started looking for lead pipes in the 1990s, and they initially found only two and about 50 others whose material was unknown. But the DNR initially marked more than 1,700 out of the city’s 1,845 lines as unknown because the verification documentation fell short of standards.

The utility didn’t save old paper inspection records, said John Hauth and Jamie McCartney, the retiring and incoming directors of public works, respectively.

Calling DNR representatives “very helpful,” Hauth said his inventory is now getting into “pretty good shape.”

“We send it to them, they will highlight areas and send it back and say, ‘OK, well, you know you need to explain this better, or you need to match this up,’” Hauth said.

Gathering evidence

At the DNR’s suggestion, Hauth and McCartney used construction records to rule out neighborhoods built after lead was banned from new pipeline construction and found water meter replacement records to fill in some blanks.

The managers submitted a revised draft, still under DNR review, that labeled fewer than 400 service lines as unknown. The city plans to verify the remaining resident-owned lines through door-to-door visits and use hydro-excavation equipment to check city-owned lines.

“We’ve only got the few that we know of,” Hauth said. “I think it’s gonna be manageable.”

Josh Hyndman, Mount Horeb’s former water system manager, also has experience with thin documentation. The village started replacing lead pipes in 2011 and compiled its inventory as early as 2021 to apply for a DNR lead line replacement grant.

“We went down into our basement and started pulling out all the old records,” Hyndman said. “ I found a construction date that was from January of ’78, and it spelled out that everything would be three-quarter-inch copper for all businesses.”

That helped Hyndman determine that all service lines installed after 1978 were copper, reducing the number his team had to inspect or excavate.

In 2024, Hyndman left Mount Horeb for a job in Whitewater. Mount Horeb now has just one lead service line remaining, beneath a vacant lot. He said the inventory process was much easier in Whitewater because the city maintains comprehensive records for each line. As of April, Whitewater had 16 lead service lines and plans to replace all but one serving an abandoned water tower by the end of 2027.

A worker flares copper tubing as a crew swaps out a lead water service line for copper pipes in Milwaukee on June 29, 2021. Isaac Wasserman/Wisconsin Watch

Most unknown service lines are located on the private side of the water system, Cathy Wunderlich said. She is project manager and principal technologist with the engineering firm Jacobs, which the DNR contracted through 2028 to help local water systems finish their inventories. The service is free, with the costs covered by a federal grant.

Lead and copper are rarely used for water lines over two inches in diameter, so they’re more commonly used in private-side pipes instead of the public side, Wunderlich explained.

Although municipal water systems do not own the private side of service lines, they must document them. That requires permission and access from property owners.

A more cost-effective approach encourages residents to submit evidence, said Shawn Kerachsky, CEO of Community Infrastructure Partners, which used federal grants to contract with Wausau and Racine to inventory and replace the lead lines.

“This is not an engineering and construction problem,” Kerachsky said. “It’s a public health issue that happens to be solved through very simple engineering and construction, but world-class communication outreach and logistical planning.”

His company promoted the “Equiflow” campaign when helping Wausau complete its inventory — partnering with local organizations to encourage residents to identify their water lines by uploading photos or allowing technicians to inspect them. The approach helped Wausau reduce its share of unknown service lines to about 30%.

The DNR also offers grants to help water systems educate residents about inventory and replacement projects.

What’s next?

Water systems will ultimately use the data to apply for federal grants and loans to fund lead service line replacements.

“We encourage water systems to replace them as soon as possible, because it’s in the best interest of public health,” Hirekatur said. “Right now, there’s more money available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, and once that gets used up, there’ll be a lot less funding available.”

The DNR will announce which projects it will select for federal pipeline replacement funds by year’s end. The program offers loans with a 0.25% interest rate, far below market rates, and principal forgiveness. The department expects to have some funding available in 2028, but much less than previous years.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Youth at Twilight Centers. Photo by Milwaukee Recreation.

Hours will be extended this summer for youth Twilight Centers at local Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) buildings, which provide young people a safe place to hang out and play at night during the summer.

Beginning June 22, the Twilight Centers will stay open an extra hour, until 10:30 p.m., according to Milwaukee Recreation, the MPS department responsible for the district’s recreational programs and facilities.

The expanded hours are part of a broader partnership between MPS, the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County’s Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin. The institutions are working, along with philanthropic support, to invest $1.5 million in safe, youth-centered spaces throughout the summer. The city and the county each have committed $500,000 to fund the program, which is being called “Safe Summer Sites.”

The goal is to provide youth and young people safe places for recreation and to access programming and mentorship during the summer, a time when young people have more time on their hands.

“Nearly one out of three residents in the city of Milwaukee is somebody under the age of 20 years old. What that means is that we’ve got one of the youngest cities in the United States,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said during a press conference at James Madison High School on Tuesday.

When young people don’t have safe places to go, they are more vulnerable to violence, County Executive David Crowley said. “Every young person deserves a safe place to spend their summer,” he added.

For children, particularly teenagers, summers are a time of greater independence, which can also mean new worries for parents, said Milwaukee School Board Director Missy Zombor.

“This work is another way that we can come together as a community to provide the support our young people need to stay busy, especially during the summer months, because we know that the evening hours can either be a time of opportunity or a time of risk,” Zombor said.

Milwaukee Recreation operates eight Twilight Centers across the city at Keefe Avenue School (1618 W. Keefe Ave.), Bay View High School (2751 S. Lenox St.), James Madison High School (8135 W. Florist Ave.), North Division High School (1011 W. Center St.), Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education (5075 N. Sherman Blvd.), Pulaski High School (2500 W. Oklahoma Ave.), South Division High School (1515 W. Lapham Blvd.), and Washington High School (2525 N. Sherman Blvd.).

“I think this year we’re really geared toward serving our kids in a way that we haven’t done before, giving them expanded hours, making sure they have safe pathways in the summer to get home,” said Brian Litzsey, MPS chief family, community and partnership officer, during a press conference June 9 at Clarke Street School.

Twilight Centers effectively turn MPS schools into community recreation centers. Teens and pre-teens can use the athletic facilities to play basketball and they can play games like ping-pong and pool. They can participate in arts programming, including digital music production. South Division and Obama offer a laundry program. The pools at Bay View, Madison, North Division, South Division and Washington are open for night swimming. All the centers are open Monday through Friday beginning at 5:30 p.m., with the exception of Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education, which is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“We have the resources,” Litzsey noted, “and we want our kids to take advantage of them this summer, so there’s something for everybody.”

231 E. Buffalo St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The news is out. Now it’s your turn to escape.

Escapology, a national immersive entertainment venue, plans to expand by adding two Milwaukee-area locations, one in the Historic Third Ward and one in Brookfield. Franchisee Jerry Benson has signed a lease for 231 E. Buffalo St., the former SITE nightclub, and targets an October opening.

The Third Ward business would be Benson’s second; he brought Escapology to Wisconsin Dells in 2024 after shifting careers to pursue the franchise. Benson has since signed a multiunit agreement to grow the escape room concept in new markets.

“We believe these communities are a perfect fit for immersive, high-quality entertainment experiences,” Benson said in a statement. “Guests can expect beautifully themed escape rooms, exceptional customer service, and unforgettable adventures designed for families, friends, coworkers, and visitors looking for a fun and memorable experience.”

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Escapology challenges players to find clues, solve puzzles and complete a mission within a set time limit to escape. The chain has grown to more than 100 locations worldwide since it was founded in 2014.

The experience includes themes ranging from spooky and adventurous to silly and nostalgic, with options such as Haunted House, Crime Scene and A Pirate’s Curse listed on the website. There are also kid-specific experiences.

Escapology’s Third Ward location would place it not far from Escape the Room, a similar business with a different owner, located at 222 E. Erie St.

Benson has applied for commercial alteration and sign permits at the building on Buffalo. Prior to SITE, which surrendered its license in 2021, a series of bars operated on the first floor of the five-story structure, including Soho 7, BTW Lounge and Oak Lounge, which opened in 2012 before rebranding as Site 1A in 2016.

Benson, who recently won Escapology’s Brand Ambassador Award, spent nearly three decades in the manufacturing field, working his way up to a lead supervisor role before transitioning to business ownership to “gain more flexibility and control over his career.”

The franchisee has also signed a lease for a 3,500-square-foot space at Galleria West Shopping Center in Brookfield. The multitenant building, 18900 W. Bluemound Rd., houses more than a dozen businesses, including restaurants, retail stores and a dentist’s office.

He aims to open the Brookfield location in early 2027.

Milwaukee Federal Courthouse. Photo by Mariiana Tzotcheva

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman denied former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan’s motion for reconsideration of the guilty verdict against her in a federal criminal case last year.

Dugan was convicted of one count of federal misdemeanor obstruction of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in April of last year.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed a lower court ruling in a Virginia case that dealt with similar questions of obstruction and federal immigration operations. Dugan’s defense raised this new legal ruling after her conviction, arguing it applied to her case and asking Adelman to reconsider acquitting Dugan of the charge against her.

In an order issued Tuesday, Adelman said the case against Dugan “arose in a somewhat different factual context” than the case in Virginia, United States v. Hernandez, and that the 4th Circuit’s finding could not be applied. He denied her motion for reconsideration.

A sentencing date has not been set, but under federal law Dugan faces a potential fine or imprisonment of up to five years. Her sentence will ultimately be at Adelman’s discretion. Dugan also retains the ability to appeal her conviction to a higher court.

It was Dugan’s second attempt to have her conviction tossed out. Dugan initially moved for a new trial and to have her conviction vacated.

Dugan was arrested by federal agents and charged with one count of obstructing a federal immigration proceeding and one count of concealing an individual from arrest in April of last year. The charges stemmed from an incident at the county courthouse, when agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement agencies came there to arrest an undocumented immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, appearing in Dugan’s courtroom. Dugan spoke to the agents and later let the immigrant exit her courtroom through a side door.

She was convicted in December of one count of obstruction, but not the count of concealing an individual from arrest. The obstruction conviction was secured under a federal law covering obstruction of an immigration proceeding. In the Hernandez case out of Virginia, the 4th Circuit ultimately ruled that no proceeding was taking place to be obstructed, because an enforcement proceeding, like an ICE arrest operation, is not the same thing as a “pending proceeding” under the statute.

This led Dugan’s legal team to argue that, in her case, an immigration proceeding also was not occurring the day agents showed up in the hallway of the county courthouse and that the actions that day were straightforward law enforcement actions, not part of a pending proceeding.

During oral arguments on June 3, Dugan’s attorneys and federal prosecutors went back and forth before Adelman, arguing over the meaning of the word “proceeding” and whether Dugan’s case was included in that.

Ultimately, Adelman decided a proceeding was taking place. The agents were there to make an arrest as part of an investigation and a pending immigration proceeding, he concluded.

“Defendant argues that ICE was acting as a law enforcement agency here. But this ignores the fact that, unlike, say, the FBI, ICE can issue its own warrants and adjudicate and effectuate a removal, as it did with Flores-Ruiz, without the involvement of a court,” Adelman wrote. “This makes a difference.”

Mandela Barnes (right) greets Jacob Gatlin, community liaison for Five Star Impact, during a campaign stop Tuesday. Photo taken June 16, 2026, by Sophie Bolich.

Fresh off a weekend of campaigning at the Wisconsin Democratic Convention in Madison, gubernatorial primary candidate Mandela Barnes visited Milwaukee’s North Side Tuesday morning for a tour of Five Star Impact.

Opened in 2025, the business center and workforce hub aims to empower community members through career training, certification courses and youth resources.

Akyaa Smith, the nonprofit’s executive director, led Barnes through the building at 1138 W. Garfield Ave., pausing to observe a ServSafe study session, children’s basketball camp and screen printing workshop, where workers were assembling materials for Juneteenth celebrations later this week.

Speaking outside the building after the tour, Barnes praised Five Star for its commitment to “making communities safer” and said the state should focus on partnerships with organizations “ready to provide those opportunities.”

“There are folks we met [today] who are going through some job training programming, and unfortunately we find ourselves at a point in time in a state and country where there are many more folks who are going to need more opportunities just like this,” he said. “We need to make sure that we use models like this.”

Five Star, housed in a former YMCA facility and school, hosts up to 1,200 youth and families each month, according to Jacob Gatlin, community liaison for the nonprofit. “We have done such a good job with building relationships and repairing broken relationships … we’re expecting more than that now that summer has hit,” he said.

Gatlin said the two-story building has seen “a complete transformation” since Five Star took over and began renovations. A gymnasium, classrooms, conference rooms and commercial kitchen space are spread throughout the main and second floors. The basement, though still in progress, is expected to house a computer lab.

“We’re looking to renovate and get this floor ready for the community,” Gatlin said. “Unfortunately, that part takes funding.”

Five Star receives a portion of its funding through training fees and payments from tenants in its rentable spaces. The organization also was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation in 2025, which Smith said has helped further develop its programming.

The center offers GED resources and apprenticeship programs aimed at creating a pipeline to employment. “That’s the important part,” Smith said.

The Garfield Avenue facility is the second for Five Star, which also operates at 1710 N. 24th St. Politicians including state Sen. Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley — one of Barnes’ opponents in the Democratic primary for governor — have also recently toured the space.

Asked by Barnes to explain her origin story, Smith traced her work back to childhood. “It always has something to do with how you grew up or what you didn’t have, right?” she said. “I’ve always had a passion to make sure others are good.”

Barnes, former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, launched his gubernatorial campaign in December 2025 and is competing against a sizable field for the nomination, including Crowley; former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan; Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong; former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Secretary Missy Hughes; Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez; and Madison Sen. Kelda Roys.

A debate is set for July 28 at Marquette University, two weeks before the Aug. 11 primary. A recent straw poll shows Barnes ranked sixth among his opponents; however, he said the data is not a clear indicator.

“If the straw poll was an accurate representation, there would be no Governor [Tony] Evers and no Governor [Jim] Doyle,” he said. “The last two Democratic governors did not win the straw poll at the Democratic Party Convention.”

Barnes went on to reiterate his campaign promises to “lower costs on day one” for health care, energy and utilities, and “focus on improving quality of life to make sure Wisconsin is the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Photos

Russell Antonio Goodwin. Photo courtesy of Goodwin.

Democratic Rep. Ryan Clancy is out to get him, says Democratic Rep. Russell Goodwin.

“It’s Clancy and the socialist gang,” Goodwin tells Urban Milwaukee. “He’s actively campaigning against me.”

Goodwin represents Assembly District 12 on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side and is hearing about his Democratic opponent, Jordan Roman, and Roman’s supporters as the incumbent goes door to door. “They’ve said a lot of bad stuff against me,” Goodwin laments. “It’s weird to me.”

Clancy, a longtime socialist who himself faces a Democratic opponent and is going door to door to win reelection in his own district, somehow has enough time to also campaign in another district. But then Clancy’s cellphone message brags that he has no boundaries between his personal and professional life.

And Clancy’s opposition to Goodwin may be a bit of both. They are both former county supervisors, and Clancy, who has a trans son, sought Goodwin’s backing for a transgender sanctuary resolution and Goodwin declined to do so. Now that both are legislators, Clancy has vehemently opposed a proposed ban on transgender girls participating in K-12 sports, and Goodwin was the sole Democrat in the Legislature to vote for it. (It passed, but Gov. Tony Evers vetoed it.)

“Goodwin is a Republican running as a Democrat,” Clancy declares. There is some irony to the complaint, as a number of Democrats have complained that Clancy is a socialist who runs as a Democrat because it’s the only way he can get elected.

“Clancy says I’m too conservative. I’m not a Democrat,” Goodwin says. “He said I have a growing pattern of deciding to go against the will of the Democratic caucus.” Which is also a complaint Democrats make about Clancy.

The two legislators might be on two different ends of the party with very different worldviews. Goodwin has authored several religious-themed books and was a founder of Christians United on the Move Church in Milwaukee, where he has served as a senior pastor. He received an honorary doctorate in divinity in 2015.

Clancy is a secular humanist and is one of “130 elected officials at the local, state, and federal level who publicly identify with the atheist and humanist community serving in 35 states across the country.”

Goodwin says Clancy also condemned him for supporting the budget deal negotiated by Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Evers to increase education funding and give tax refunds to all Wisconsin taxpayers. Goodwin was one of only 10 Democrats — all members of the Assembly — who voted for it.

He says his constituents are angry the proposal wasn’t passed. “At a town hall meeting people were very upset about this. They wanted to know the names of the legislators who voted against this.”

District 12 includes much of the city’s Northwest Side and a portion of Wauwatosa and is heavily Democratic and very diverse. Goodwin says the district is 57% Black, 29% white, 8% Asian and 5% Latino. But they are pretty united as to what are the most important issues, he says.

“Reckless driving is really the biggest issue,” Goodwin says. “And property taxes. There’s no way I can face my district and say I’m not going to help them with that.”

The budget deal that failed would have brought $60 million to Milwaukee and included education funding that would have paid off the Milwaukee Public Schools deficit, Goodwin says.

A Marquette Law School poll found that 80% of Wisconsin respondents favored the budget deal. And a 2025 New York Times poll found that 79% of Americans and 67% of Democrats oppose transgender females competing in women’s sports.

Goodwin, in short, is taking stands that most of his constituents support. In years past, both major parties supported legislators who differed from the caucus majority on issues where their district disagreed. Are those days over?

Conservative talk radio host Dan O’Donnell claimed the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee had filed a challenge against Goodwin’s nomination papers. But the Democratic committee denied this, the Wisconsin Examiner reported, “and records show that the challenge to his nominating papers came from his primary opponent, Jordan Roman,” whose challenge eventually failed.

Sidney Litke, communications director for the Wisconsin Assembly Democrats, told Urban Milwaukee that Democrats are not supporting any challenges to Democratic incumbents. The one exception, she explained, is Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, who “made the decision to leave the caucus last year and therefore does not receive ADCC support.”

In 2024 Democrats recruited a candidate to oppose Clancy, and he won anyway. In 2026 his Democratic opponent, Bridget Maniaci, says she has quiet support from Democrats but has gotten only a couple of public endorsements.

The Fair Wisconsin PAC, which is “committed to advancing and achieving equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Wisconsinites,” is backing Goodwin’s opponent, warning that “we will not tolerate a vote against the LGBTQ+ community.” The liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin has also endorsed Roman.

Goodwin suspects Roman was recruited to run against him. Roman did not respond to repeated requests to discuss his candidacy. His campaign website does not mention the budget surplus or transgender girls in sports issue.

Given Clancy’s opposition to Goodwin, you might think the Milwaukee Democratic Socialists of America would be backing Roman. But it is not. The group so far has endorsed only socialist and Rep. Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary for governor. Its most recent endorsement before that was in the spring 2025 election, supporting Alex Brower for alderman.

Clancy was once a key figure in the Milwaukee socialist group and was endorsed when he first ran for the state Assembly in 2023. But sources told Urban Milwaukee he had a falling out and quit the group. “He’s not the easiest person to work with,” said a close observer of the group.

When asked about this, Clancy demanded more details and said there are several socialist groups in Milwaukee. But he wasn’t endorsed by the group when he faced a major effort by Democrats to defeat him in 2024 and isn’t endorsed in this year’s election. Yet his current campaign website claims the Milwaukee socialist group has endorsed him.

Officials with the group did not respond to requests for comment.

3276-3278 N. Holton St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Calvin Martin has a big vision for transforming a vacant, city-owned building and dozens more homes.

After successfully going through Acts Housing‘s homebuying counseling program in Beloit, Martin is setting up a home-renovation business and cafe in Milwaukee.

The lauded Acts process involves credit counseling, down payment saving and, often, acquisition of a home in need of repair.

Martin, a process engineer with contracting experience, said the renovation aspect is an “overwhelming thing” for many people. He aims to make it easier and thinks there is a business opportunity to do so.

“I noticed there’s a million people in the high-end market, and a million people living in the uninsured low-end market. But there’s no one that can develop a process in the quality, well-insured, low and medium-budget range,” he told the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Tuesday morning.

Martin, through his new firm Home Hab Renovations, is now working with Acts as a “trusted contractor.” The nonprofit’s website promotes his story as a model for other prospective homeowners and contractors.

“Our business model matches their business model and their ethics,” he said.

He’s also working with Revitalize Milwaukee, a nonprofit that makes free code-compliant repairs for low-income homeowners.

Since August, he said he’s performed 10 renovations in Milwaukee. He said he’s focused on hiring people new to the field who demonstrate some hustle. Acts, Martin said, also encouraged him to set up his business in Milwaukee.

He found a city-owned property at 3276-3278 N. Holton St. that he’s seeking to purchase.

Working with business partner Shannon Mixon, Martin plans for the 3,600-square-foot building to also include a cafe.

“I know how to get it done. She knows how to make sure we don’t fail,” Martin told the committee.

The cafe will be known as Shannon’A’gans, a play on Mixon’s first name and the word “shenanigans.”

“He picked the name,” Mixon interjected. But she’ll lead the cafe.

“It’s going to be a healthier cafe,” said Mixon. “We noticed, just going around the neighborhood, that there weren’t any places to go get something that wasn’t McDonald’s or fried or something like that.”

She said she hoped the business would partner with the Riverwest Farmers Market in the future.

The business would only be open for breakfast, lunch and special events.

“We are anti-alcohol and anti-vape, all of that stuff,” said Martin.

An event space would be constructed in the building, alongside the cafe and contractor’s office.

The upper floor of the building will house three apartments. Martin said he hopes to move to Milwaukee after his son graduates from high school and live in one of the units.

The city acquired the building via property tax foreclosure in 2021 from Agnes Bentley. The Bentley family had owned the property for 30 years.

The city would sell the property to the business partners for $60,000.

According to city assessment records, the two-story building was constructed in 1921.

Historic newspaper records indicate the building has been used for many different purposes in its life, including, in 1940, as the “new headquarters of the 21st Ward unit of the Farmer-Labor-Progressive Federation.” Ward’s Hardware, Math Bandal Hardware and Val Papka Hardware were also tenants.

The sale of the property has the support of area Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs.

The committee unanimously endorsed the sale. The full council is to consider it at its June 23 meeting.

Jamie Weigelt speaks on sextortion at the 2026 School Resource Officer Training Conference, an annual event hosted by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College, on June 9, 2026, in Appleton, Wis. Her stepson, Landen, died by suicide after being sextorted online in 2023. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)

Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988.” 

In a hotel conference room in Appleton, Jamie and Jared Weigelt prepared to tell the story of their son’s death to a waiting group of police officers. In the three years since 17-year-old Landen Weigelt died, they’ve shared this story with countless schools in northeast Wisconsin.

It’s not easy to relive that day, but they won’t stop anytime soon.

On Feb. 7, 2023, Landen Weigelt spent the day at Oconto High School, where he was a junior. He was a football and varsity basketball player, popular among his peers, got good grades and had plans for a career as a counselor.

An employee of the school district, Jamie Weigelt worked in Landen’s building. The day before, a few students came up to her and said something seemed off about Landen.

“Some kids had said that he just didn’t seem himself,” Jamie Weigelt said. “I went down and I talked to him. He told me everything was fine, everything was great.”

The next afternoon, Jamie found Landen in his bedroom after he had taken his own life.

“At first, it really did look like he was sleeping,” she told the group of officers. “It was not until I got closer that I realized something was seriously wrong. … I grabbed his sweatshirt and shook him, but there was no response, and it was at this point that I screamed and grabbed my phone. I knew that I wasn’t calling 911 to save him, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

She learned Landen exchanged nude images with a scammer on Snapchat, who threatened to share them widely if he didn’t pay hundreds of dollars. Landen begged the suspect not to release photos, but they continued to demand money and told Landen they would ruin his life.

“I’m sorry but I think I would rather kill myself,” Landen had responded.

He was the victim of a crime known as sextortion, something Jamie Weigelt had never heard of before. In the years since Landen’s death, cases have skyrocketed. In Wisconsin, sextortion cases nearly tripled in a single year. The state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 650 online tips related to sextortion in 2025, an increase from 230 in all of 2024.

Now, the Weigelts and other victims’ families are devoted to raising awareness about the dangers of this deadly crime. Their efforts, in tandem with law enforcement and state lawmakers, have led to increased outreach in schools, more legal protections for victims and additional resources for the state Department of Justice to respond to sextortion tips.

What is sextortion?

Victims of sextortion — often but not exclusively teens — are solicited or coerced into sending explicit photos to an individual online and then blackmailed into sending more money or more images. In most cases, the perpetrator will create one or more fake accounts posing as teens the victim’s age, sometimes offering nude images first before asking for images in return. Generative artificial intelligence has also increasingly played a role in perpetrators carrying out sextortion schemes without even having to receive a nude image.

In 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received an average of 137 reports of financial sextortion a day and noted that at least 36 teenage boys had committed suicide as a result of being sextorted.

Parents, lawmakers act

In Wisconsin, families of victims teamed up with lawmakers to develop specific legislation that addresses sextortion. Last year, sextortion was classified as a felony in Wisconsin under “Bradyn’s Law,” named in honor of Bradyn Bohn. The 15-year-old from Kronenwetter died by suicide in 2025 after being sextorted, and his parents have been key in advocating for increased legislation.

This April, Gov. Tony Evers signed five new laws providing more recourse for victims and funding for the state to respond to sextortion crimes. Among them, 2025 Wisconsin Act 215 allows victims’ families to file a wrongful death lawsuit if their family member’s suicide was largely due to sextortion, in addition to allowing victims to file a civil suit for monetary damages.

A pair of Landen Weigelt’s football cleats sit on a table during a training conference for school resource officers. Jamie and Jared Weigelt have shared their son’s story at high schools across northeast Wisconsin in hopes of preventing another tragedy. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)

The bills also provided an increase of $400,000 per year in the 2025-27 biennial budget for the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which receives and responds to tips of suspected online child sexual exploitation. The legislation adds four full-time positions to the team — two criminal analysts, one outreach specialist and one digital forensic analyst — and requires the task force to run a public awareness campaign regarding online safety for children.

The number of tips coming into the task force is “staggering,” said commander Jesse Crowe, and can cause mental health issues among his staff. As of May 21, 2026, they’ve received over 7,400 CyberTips so far this year with over 300 related to sextortion — which means their one part-time and three full-time criminal analysts are tasked with responding to nearly 1,500 tips per month.

“We really needed the resources based on our numbers,” Crowe said, “and this is a very, very good step in the right direction to get the resources that we need.”

Having a designated outreach specialist will allow the rest of his team to focus solely on their caseload, rather than having to fit outreach in between cases.

“This person will be dedicated to really working with communities, working with law enforcement to get more of our messages out there – not only about sextortion, just about how to use the internet responsibly,” Crowe said.

They hope to have the new task force members onboarded by the end of July.

How tips are submitted

Although tips can be self-reported through report.cybertip.org, many are sent by electronic service providers — such as social media companies.

Part of the exponential increase in tips over the past two years is because of the federal REPORT Act, which required electronic service providers to report online sexual exploitation of children starting in May 2024.

Self-reporting is also increasing, with NCMEC’s CyberTipline reporting a 100% increase in reports directly from victims in 2025. Experts say this is a positive result of heightened awareness because perpetrators rely on victims being too afraid to speak up. Crowe believes the state’s increase in CyberTips can be partially attributed to outreach efforts in addition to social media companies complying with reporting requirements.

Once tips are received by NCMEC, they’re assigned to each state based on the location of the suspects and victims. Crowe’s team uses IP addresses, phone numbers or open records requests to determine which sheriff’s offices should receive tips.

Brian Slinger is the Internet Crimes Against Children supervisor for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Once he receives a tip, his main priority is to locate the child and make contact as soon as possible. He relies heavily on partnerships with school districts, including school resource officers.

“We will usually involve the school resource officers as quickly as we can to make contact with the child to ensure that they’re safe because that’s the number one goal,” Slinger said.

What parents can do

The main message that Crowe, the Weigelts and other advocates emphasize is to develop an open line of communication between parents and children.

“We tell kids at a very early age, hold my hand to cross the street, wear a helmet, wear a seat belt, and that’s ingrained in them,” Crowe said. “If we start that conversation about safe, appropriate internet use when they’re young, it’ll just be a normal function of them growing up.”

Attendees listen to Jamie and Jared Weigelt during a training conference for school resource officers. When local law enforcement receives sextortion CyberTips from the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, school resource officers are often called immediately to help locate the child or teenager. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)

Becky Wright is the program director at HER Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Green Bay that works with people who have experienced sex trafficking. The organization does outreach presentations to school districts in Brown County about digital safety, healthy relationships and online exploitation.

“I think one of the biggest reasons criminals are using sextortion to target kids is because it causes them to completely panic,” Wright said. “They don’t know what to do because there’s money involved, and they realize they may have made a mistake in the conversation.”

As a parent of a 12-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter, Wright has regular discussions with them about online safety. Each night, they return their phones to her bedroom to charge.

“I’m monitoring and looking at their phone, usually on a weekly basis, just looking through photos and search histories,” Wright said. “But again, it’s also because I’m aware of what can happen, and they know that, and we’ve had a lot of discussions about that.”

Efforts underway

Rep. Lindee Brill, R-Sheboygan Falls, authored several of the recently passed laws, but wrote in a statement to Wisconsin Watch that they’re “only a few spokes in the broader wheel of kids’ online safety.”

She pointed to other bills that came out of the Assembly Speaker’s Task Force on Protecting Kids, including Assembly Bill 962, which would require age verification on social media platforms.

Bohn’s parents, Luke and Brittney Bird, testified in support of the bill, but it failed to pass in the Senate last year among concerns of privacy rights violations. The Birds also joined a wrongful death lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for failing to protect their children, emphasizing a growing effort to hold social media companies accountable for children’s safety.

Justin Patchin, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, has a different proposal: safe sexting strategies. He outlined tips in a recent paper such as not including identifying features or sending suggestive images rather than explicit nude images. Patchin said there needs to be a less fear-based approach to sexting, which is in line with the state’s list of best practices for prevention programs.

“Teens engage in sexting because it’s developmentally somewhat normative,” Patchin said. “We tell them not to engage in these behaviors, and in fact, some police officers threaten them with arrest.”

Teens who engage in sexting and find themselves victims of sextortion may then feel trapped.

“Now you’re backed into a corner, right?” Patchin said. “That you’ve done this illegal thing, technically, because you’ve created and distributed child porn, and so now you feel helpless.”

Chief Kassie Dufek of the Oconto Police Department speaks about sextortion during a training conference for school resource officers on June 9, 2026, in Appleton, Wis. Since Landen Weigelt died, Dufek told Wisconsin Watch she’s only seen sextortion cases increase. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)

Although possessing or distributing explicit images of a minor is still illegal under Wisconsin’s child pornography laws, minors generally won’t be charged when images they send are used to extort them – they are seen as victims of a crime in Wisconsin, Crowe said. However, children and teenagers can be charged if they create images and send them without coercion or prompting.

According to Patchin’s research, only 24% of teens he surveyed said they engage in sexting. But among those who do, about half the time, that image is shared with someone beyond the original sender or they’re the victim of sextortion.

“In the last few years, the international bad actors have gotten into the game,” Patchin said. “They’ve gotten good at targeting vulnerable youth. If you look at case studies of this, if you look at the media reports, a lot of these – especially boys – who have been targeted in the last few years, are popular. They have a lot going on for themselves. They have a lot to lose.”

Oconto Police Chief Kassie Dufek said over the years that she’s presented Landen’s story with the Weigelts, she’s only seen victimization increase, despite efforts from the DOJ or families. Real change would require social media apps “having significant restrictions.”

“Our search warrants are signed by a judge that say you must give us this information by this date,” Dufek said. “They don’t comply because they know that they have these big time lawyers … it’s more of a fight for us than it’s worth because we don’t have the time, we don’t have the resources. They do.”

‘The word is out’

Jill Yindra, who lost her son to sextortion-related suicide, said she and her husband hosted an awareness night in March with over 700 attendees in Mishicot. She recently received a call about a 15-year-old student from a local high school who contacted authorities after being targeted by someone on Instagram.

“AI imagery was used, threats were made, demands for money, and that perpetrator had also friended mutual friends of the first victim,” Yindra said. “So when this individual realized what this was and what the dangers were, they called authorities right away, and they were able to stop it.”

Seeing that her and her husband’s advocacy efforts were working gave her hope.

From left, Jared and Jamie Weigelt speak about sextortion at a training conference for school resource officers. They are among several Wisconsin parents who educate students, teachers and law enforcement officers about sextortion after losing their children to suicide. (Mike Roemer for Wisconsin Watch)

“It warmed our hearts,” Yindra said. “We just don’t ever want another family to go through what we are going through. It’s absolutely horrific.”

The perpetrators of sextortion schemes depend on the victim feeling alone and ashamed of their mistake — which is why it’s important to inform the public that this is a scam where international criminals systematically target and manipulate teens.

“We’ve had the hard conversations with our kids, but these are career criminals,” Yindra said. “It’s sad, and it’s unfortunate, but we live in a cruel world, and we need to be proactive with it, because this crime goes like wildfire when we remain silent.

“But if you speak up, you talk, you educate, and advocate, things will slow down,” she said. “And now it’s obviously working, because the word is out.”

What to do if you’re being sextorted:

• Stop all communication, block the person and report their account through the platform they were communicating on.
• Notify CyberTipLine.org, call local police, or tell a trusted adult. 
• Do not send money. If you’ve already sent money, don’t send more money. As soon as the suspects see the victim can pay, they will continue to ask for more money and escalate threats. 
• Instead, use https://takeitdown.ncmec.org, a free service to take down nude images. For each image or video, Take It Down will generate a “hash” or digital fingerprint that can be used to identify an exact copy of that image or video on platforms like Instagram or Facebook.
• Do not delete messages, as they may need to be used as evidence by law enforcement.

Source: Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program 

Data reporter Hongyu Liu contributed to this report.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Katie Cummings (center), founder of Pink Umbrella Theater Co., holds up large scissors after cutting the ribbon at the organization’s new theater on June 7. (Photo by Jake Dale / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Leaders of the Pink Umbrella Theater Co. say the organization was born with the goal of changing the narrative by changing the narrator. Since 2018, it has served the community as the first professional theater in Milwaukee with a focus on hiring disabled actors and artists to tell their stories.

Katie Cummings is the founder of Pink Umbrella Theater Co.,1104 W. Historic Mitchell St. (Photo by Jake Dale/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Katie Cummings, Pink Umbrella’s founder and executive director, started the organization on her “credit card and a prayer and a hope.” Today, it serves nearly 300 students annually.

Despite the organization’s success, it wasn’t until this month that Pink Umbrella had a permanent home.

The organization had hosted classes, rehearsals and shows in church basements, parks and school theaters.

“I knew that for Pink Umbrella to really grow and to be sustainable for the long term, we needed a place,” Cummings said.

It has one now, introducing its new home, the first accessible theater in Milwaukee, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 7.

“Our Pink Umbrella Theater Company has been nice and cozy and happy under the umbrella, and now we’re going to be able to thrive and grow and multiply our impact,” Cummings said during the ceremony at the new theater’s home, 1104 W. Historic Mitchell St.

Clearing the PATH

Patrons enter during Pink Umbrella Theater Co.’s opening event on June 7. (Photo by Jake Dale/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Even in the years without a building to call their own, Pink Umbrella leaders worked to make positive changes for the Milwaukee disabled community.

“It’s really that kind of impact that doesn’t leave after you walk out of class or a play. It stays with you all the time,” Janelle Tavela, president of the Pink Umbrella board, said during the opening ceremony. “The people at Pink have created a community that makes each community member stronger.”

Attendees of Pink Umbrella Theater Co.’s ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated on June 7 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jake Dale/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

A main goal for the organization’s new theater, called Pink’s Accessible Theater House, or PATH, is to serve as a home-like space for its actors with disabilities and their families.

“We want it to feel like it’s your home. That you can get up and dance with us,” Cummings said.

Organizers hope that comfort and inclusion will blossom at the new theater.

“Making sure that everybody is included, and everybody feels included, and everybody knows they are included is the biggest thing,” Shaqita Crockett said.

In recent years, Pink Umbrella has put on productions such as “A Christmas Carol,” “Portraits” and a staged reading series. Pink’s staff includes teaching artists and artistic allies who help serve the students and actors with disabilities.

Shaqita Crockett, Pink Umbrella Theater Co.’s building manager, poses for a picture at 1104 W. Historic Mitchell St. (Photo by Jake Dale / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Future programming

The new theater will not only serve Pink Umbrella, it will also benefit local arts and theater groups.

“Having a home also opens up opportunities for other organizations and other theater companies who had that same struggle that we have of not having a go-to place for their patrons to come to,” Crockett said.

Pink Umbrella also plans to continue work it’s been doing since its inception by helping different theater companies in the area cultivate a better experience for viewers with disabilities.

“It means welcoming other community members, exchanging our knowledge for what we learn with people with disabilities,” said Ash Mulholland, a former student of Pink Umbrella and its current social media manager.

Cummings said having Pink Umbrella has helped the theater community better adapt to people with disabilities.

“I do think because we’re here and willing to share our knowledge, there’s more of it happening in Milwaukee than there might be in other cities,” Cummings said.

Remaining challenges

In order to make the new theater space fully accessible, Pink Umbrella is looking to raise $1.5 million. Funding would support an in-facility elevator, wheelchair lift, accessible studio equipment, workspaces and more. The organization’s 2024-2029 strategic plan seeks to raise $100,000 annually over the span of five years, totaling $500,000.

Also, recent national and state-level governmental cuts of aid for people with disabilities may pose major funding challenges, according to Cummings.

“If everybody loses their funding, 90% of our income is down for classes,” Cummings said.

Still, she said, Pink Umbrella is holding out hope.

“I feel really strongly that this is the right thing to do and people will show up,” Cummings said. “It feels like destiny.”

To support Pink Umbrella’s capital campaign, visit here.

You can learn more about the theater company here.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.