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Greendale's former Reiman Publications headquarters, which most recently housed Goodwill's offices, has a new owner: a Reiman family group.
Greendale's former Reiman Publications headquarters, which most recently housed Milwaukee-area Goodwill operations, has a new owner: a Reiman family investment group.
The 164,800-square-foot building, which sits on 14.5 acres at 5400 S. 60th St., was sold by Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin Inc. to Future1 LLC, a Pewaukee investment group, for $8.2 million.
Future1 is an affiliate of Hexagon Inc., a private investment firm founded by Scott Reiman.
Hexagon doesn't yet have any specific plans for the property, said Mike Hipp, the firm's president.
Hipp said the Reiman family's former involvement with the site was a factor in the decision to buy the property.
Scott Reiman's father, Roy Reiman, for decades operated Reiman Publications, which produced such magazines as Taste of Home, Reminisce and Farm & Ranch Living.
"There's obviously a lot of history and affinity for that facility and that property," Hipp told the Journal Sentinel.
Roy Reiman and his wife, Bobbi, still own a home near the former company headquarters, Hipp said.
Roy Reiman founded Reiman Publications in 1965 and moved it to the Greendale site in the 1970s, buying a former Allis-Chalmers Corp. nuclear power research facility.
Reiman Publications eventually grew to be the largest subscription-supported publishing firm in the United States with over 16 million paid subscribers — and no advertisements.
The company's Greendale headquarters, which Reiman expanded, included a test kitchen for Taste of Home, perhaps the company's best-known magazine.
And Roy Reiman's investments included buying and remodeling several older commercial buildings on Greendale's Broad Street.
Those properties included the Reiman Publications Visitors Center, which attracted busloads of tourists who were fans of Taste of Home and other magazines, as well as a Taste of Home restaurant.
Reader's Digest Association Inc. bought Reiman Publications in 2002.
A company affiliate, RDA Enthusiast Brands, moved the magazine operations in 2014 to Milwaukee's Schlitz Park office park.
Goodwill in 2013 disclosed plans to buy the Greendale building and consolidate operations there from Milwaukee's far northwest side and a site near Mitchell International Airport.
The nonprofit group in 2021 began moving from the Greendale site.
Some of the Greendale operations were shifted to Goodwill's James O. Wright Center for Work and Training, 6055 N. 91st St., Milwaukee.
Also, Goodwill's offices in March moved to the Summit Place complex, 6737 W. Washington St., West Allis. | 2022-04-01T16:25:49Z | www.jsonline.com | Reiman family group buys Greendale's former Reiman Publications site | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/01/reiman-family-group-buys-greendales-former-reiman-publications-site/7242903001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/01/reiman-family-group-buys-greendales-former-reiman-publications-site/7242903001/ |
Alverno College President Sr. Andrea Lee to end long career in Catholic school leadership
Alverno College President Sister Andrea Lee will leave her post in June, bringing an end to her decades-long career as a leader in Catholic higher education.
Lee, 73, took on the college's presidency in 2016, and before then served about four years as an Alverno trustee.
She has spent 25 years leading various Catholic colleges in the U.S. She is also renowned on the national level as a member of the board and executive committee of the 200-member Association for Catholic Colleges and Universities, having mentored and built relationships with the leaders of Catholic colleges across the state and country.
In an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Lee expressed great pride in Alverno's mission to serve a highly diverse and local student population, and said she is hopeful for the college's future.
She was careful to say she was "ending her service" rather than "stepping down."
"This place — Alverno College — and any place where women predominate, we don't think about stepping down, like being the president is like some sort of pedestal that you're stepping off," she said.
More:New Alverno president is nun, teacher, leader — and mom
The decision to leave now simply felt right, Lee said.
But she also spoke candidly about mounting pressures that came with leading an institution through the COVID-19 pandemic, noting 50 of the U.S.'s 220 Catholic colleges across the country have changed their leadership during the pandemic.
"We've talked about the Great Resignation and I might include myself in that right now," Lee said. "I'm not tired of working, but when I look back, this has been a hard time."
Lee said she is confident leaving the institution in the next generation of leaders' hands.
Alverno's biggest challenges will include keeping up with new technology trends in and outside the classroom. And, as is the case for most small private colleges, the college will need to keep improving enrollment numbers, Lee said.
Alverno saw several important milestones under Lee's tenure, most notable among them the attainment of the coveted federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
The HSI designation is given to colleges where 25% or more of the student body identifies as Hispanic/Latino. It opens the door to millions of dollars in federal grants and scholarships. Alverno was the first college in the state to attain it.
Alverno also launched the Thea Bowman Institute for Excellence and Leadership, a full scholarship and leadership program for Black women undergraduates.
"We're really trying to say: These are the students we want to serve and we know we serve well," Lee said. "And so hopefully in the future, my successor will pick up the reins — both in the interim and when a permanent successor comes — and do more of the same."
Under Lee's tenure, the college improved its four and six-year graduation rates, doubled its endowment over a five-year period, and reduced its debt by 24%.
The college has also sought to grow enrollment by investing in new academic programs in social work, education, public health, neonatal nurse practitioner, community and school psychology, and music therapy, as well as doctorates in education and nursing practice.
A new School for Adult Learning and New Initiatives provides flexible short-term credentials and degree development for students outside the traditional 18-24 age cohort. The college has also partnered with other organizations to expand degree offerings, including Columbia College of Nursing in the Milwaukee area. A partnership with Synergis Education has led to the launch of a new nursing education site for the college in Mesa, Arizona.
The investments and efforts to enroll more graduate and adult students were in part, Lee said, to protect the undergraduate women's college that is at the core of the college's identity.
"It's been challenging and it's been particularly challenging in the women's college for a lot of reasons," Lee said. "Not the least of which is that women of color, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, those enrollments have been challenged all across the country."
Alverno's goal for 2024 is to have a total enrollment of 2,400 students: 1,000 in the women's college; 700 in the School of Adult Learning and New Initiatives; and 700 in the college's other graduate programs.
“Sister Andrea has effectively led Alverno through some of the most historic and challenging times in higher education with grace and a fierce dedication to our mission and students,” said Joseph Foy, vice president for academic affairs. “She is an innovative, visionary leader who works tirelessly and compassionately to serve others.
Foy will serve as the college's interim president while Alverno conducts a search for its next leader.
Lee said she doesn't know what's next for her, joking that nuns never really retire, but she is ending her career working in college leadership. She looks forward to spending more time with her son and other family. And she plans to continue championing Alverno, just without the pressure of "having all of the responsibility all the time."
Being a college president "isn't for the faint of heart," Lee said.
She recalled a major flood on campus a few months before the pandemic. A burst pipe poured 80,000 gallons of water into one of the college's main buildings, filling her office to her ankles with water. But in the next breath, she talked about how excited she got when she sees Alverno women post on Facebook and LinkedIn about their accomplishments and leadership in the community.
"This is not a perfect place, but it's a very good place," she said. "And a lot of women who go to school here really do fabulous things when they graduate. So that's what I feel most proud of." | 2022-04-01T16:26:01Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee's Alverno College President Andrea Lee to leave post in June | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/01/milwaukees-alverno-college-president-andrea-lee-leave-post-june/7234207001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/01/milwaukees-alverno-college-president-andrea-lee-leave-post-june/7234207001/ |
MADISON - A highly transmissible form of the bird flu has been detected in wild birds in several Wisconsin counties.
The Department of Natural Resources said highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was found in a Cooper's hawk and a bald eagle in Dane County, a lesser scaup from Columbia County, a red-tailed hawk from Grant County, a Canada goose from Milwaukee County and a trumpeter swan from Polk County.
The spread of the disease among wild birds follows the discovery at a Jefferson County egg farm in mid-March. To fight the spread, the farm announced it would destroy the 3 million hens.
The discovery at the Jefferson County farm was Wisconsin's first confirmed case of HPAI since 2015. That outbreak saw nine commercial farms and one backyard flock in Wisconsin become infected, leading to mass euthanasia of nearly 2 million birds between April and May 2015.
MORE:Milwaukee County Zoo closes penguin exhibit and aviary to protect birds from avian flu
Avian influenza is caused by a virus common in wild birds, the agency said in a release, especially in shorebirds and waterfowl. There are many different subtypes of the virus, with most not causing obvious signs of sickness. Rare strains of the virus, such as EA H5N1, occasionally can cause disease in other birds or animals.
The DNR plans to keep monitoring for the disease and has increased efforts for surveillance and testing in species known to carry or be affected. Meanwhile, the agency is asking for Wisconsin residents to be on the lookout for impacts to waterfowl, water birds, raptors (especially bald eagles) and other avian scavengers, such as crows, ravens and gulls showing signs of tremors, circling movement or holding their heads in an unusual position.
Anyone who sees a sick or dead bird should not touch them with bare hands, using gloves or a plastic bag if touching is necessary. Wash your hands with soap and water and throw away any gloves that come into contact with the birds.
For anyone who has a flock of outdoor birds, the DNR and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection recommend practicing enhanced biosecurity and moving flocks indoors in order to avoid contact with wild birds and their droppings. | 2022-04-01T16:26:13Z | www.jsonline.com | Bird flu found in wild birds in several Wisconsin counties | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/04/01/bird-flu-found-wild-birds-several-wisconsin-counties/7243318001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/04/01/bird-flu-found-wild-birds-several-wisconsin-counties/7243318001/ |
Laney Anderson believes a decision to deny her daughter entry to Waukesha Skateland last weekend discriminated against the girl because she’s a Black teenager from Milwaukee.
Anderson’s 16-year-old daughter, Mya, went to Skateland March 26 with three teen friends and their parents. After looking at their IDs, none were allowed to skate because an employee told them Skateland does not allow teenagers from Milwaukee to skate there, Anderson said.
When the teen told her mom what happened, Anderson called Skateland and recorded the call, posting it on Facebook. Her recording had been viewed 5,300 times and shared more than 550 times as of Wednesday.
Ryan Clancy, a white Milwaukee County supervisor, was so upset after viewing Anderson's post that he went to Skateland on Sunday to see if he and his child would be denied entry. They weren't. Clancy said they were allowed in, no questions asked.
Policies that restrict a group of people or their access to services based on where they live, or the color of their skin, is the very definition of discrimination, in my opinion. If a business has problems with unruly behavior by teenagers, the business should deal with the individual problem and not ban an entire group of people, many of whom, in this case, will likely be Black.
“I don’t know how they can justify this policy." Clancy said. "It’s discriminatory to say the least.”
Skateland’s website and its Facebook page does not mention a policy restricting Milwaukee teenagers. Three messages left for Steve Laufer, the owner of Skateland, and messages left on Skateland's social media page, were not returned.
Anderson's story took off on social media
Anderson, 34, and Clancy both posted several videos on social media, including a call between Anderson and an employee at Skateland.
The call with Anderson begins with her explaining to the employee that her daughter had been denied entry.
“Teenagers from Milwaukee are not allowed in, right? Even with their parent they cannot come in to skate?” Anderson asked.
The employee replied, “Right, yep.”
When Anderson asked why, the employee said, “Too many troubles. The West Allis skating rink or the Butler skating rink would be a good place to go.”
“You don’t think that’s discriminatory?” Anderson asked.
“No,” the employee said.
More:Critical race theory makes some people uncomfortable. We should teach it in Wisconsin schools anyway.
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Clancy’s family was sitting at the breakfast table a day later discussing Anderson’s social media post. Some of the commenters were saying the policy was not discriminatory or racist.
“When we were discussing the policy at our breakfast table, my 7-year-old daughter, Fiona, asked if they were Black,” Clancy said.
“It’s funny how your child can see something even adults say they can’t see,” Clancy said.
County supervisor went to Skateland
Clancy was running errands last Sunday with Sebastian, his 13-year-old, when they decided to stop by Skateland. Clancy told Sebastian to record the encounter.
In the video, you see Clancy open a big red door, then go in and pay the $26 entry fee. They are not asked to show an ID, even though Clancy was wearing a Milwaukee sweatshirt.
In another video, Clancy asks an employee if Milwaukee residents are allowed to skate.
The employee said the policy only applies to people who try to drop off eight teens and then leave the teens unaccompanied. He added if someone came in with one child, they would be allowed to skate.
When Clancy asked what the actual policy states, the employee responded, “We don’t allow teenagers from Milwaukee.”
The employee seemed comfortable talking to Clancy.
“Two-hundred kids fighting in the parking lot. I can’t have that. People in my area don’t want that,” the employee said.
Fred Royal, first vice president of the NAACP Milwaukee branch, called what happened textbook racism.
"Even when Mayfair mall had trouble with minority youth, they said all teens had to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. They didn't say all Milwaukee youth could not enter the mall," Royal said.
William Sultan, a Milwaukee attorney, said while most people know a business cannot discriminate against a person based on race, organizations use other tactics.
Sultan said his Black father, who grew up in South Carolina in the 1950s, saw many "colored only" signs.
When those signs came down, it didn't mean racism and discrimination was over, he said.
"The fact that some people think this policy is OK, doesn't mean it isn't discriminatory," Sultan said.
Such policies are hurtful to people of color
Policies like this are nothing new. Several years ago, The Comfort Suites hotel near the airport created a policy that kept Milwaukee residents who live within a 30-mile radius from booking a room.
The hotel chain did the same thing at its Comfort Suites in Milwaukee, near North 108th Street and West Park Place.
At the time, the hotel said it needed the hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. Hotel staff said the policy was implemented to cut down on prostitution and drug use.
But such policies are harmful because they paint one group — in many cases one race — with a broad brush.
It’s extremely hurtful to Black people, who have been the victim of such tactics throughout history. My parents dealt with the separate bathrooms and water bubblers for "colored" and whites. They dealt with racist housing laws in Milwaukee, which hemmed in nearly every Black person on the city’s north side for decades.
While some kids do cause trouble, that's true of all kinds of kids — not just young Black and brown people.
Anderson said her daughter is a good student who works hard and never gets into trouble.
“She just wanted to do something wholesome like go skating and that was taken away from her because of where she lives,” Anderson said. “That’s not right.”
When I heard the pain in her voice, I could easily empathize. As the father of an 18-year-old, I couldn’t imagine anyone telling me that my daughter couldn't go somewhere just because she lives in Milwaukee.
Ask yourself: How would you feel if it was your child? | 2022-04-01T16:26:19Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee mom says Skateland discriminated against her Black daughter | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/04/01/milwaukee-mom-says-skateland-discriminated-against-her-black-daughter-waukesha/7207171001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/04/01/milwaukee-mom-says-skateland-discriminated-against-her-black-daughter-waukesha/7207171001/ |
Tools of the trade: Researching Wisconsin, local history is easy once you know where to look
“Where do you get all that stuff?,” I’m sometimes asked. Particularly after a talk, some interested (or skeptical) member of the audience will come up and inquire how I knew that Allis-Chalmers had 24,862 employees at the peak of war production in 1943, including 434 Black workers. Or where I learned that in 1886 the champion brewery hand at Schlitz could down 100 short glasses of beer every day — nearly a case and a half — at a time when free beer (on the job!) was a coveted fringe benefit. Or that Emil Seidel, Milwaukee’s first Socialist mayor, once summed up his party’s platform as “clean fun, music, dance, song and joy for all.”
The answer, of course, is research — the process of finding salient facts, corroborating them with other data, and coming to informed conclusions—or sometimes just stumbling on cool things to share.
I’ve always enjoyed research more than writing. It feels to me like gathering pieces of a puzzle whose exact dimensions and precise subject are largely unknown. Once those pieces are spread out before me, or at least safely in my laptop, I find the process of assembling them into a coherent whole that will attract and hold someone’s attention — writing, in other words — much harder. But, as more than one author has said, “I love having written.”
Given the wealth of historical resources in our community, the real problem is knowing when to stop. Those resources are there for everyone to use. Most of what I know — practically all of it, in fact — has been gleaned from materials readily available online or in local archives. Although I’ve never written a how-to column in the 28 years I’ve occupied this space, I’d like to share a handful of my favorites, a trio of resources that are easy to find, easy to use, and quite possibly addictive.
Go to the first draft of history: newspapers
At the top of my list in recent years are historical newspaper databases, two in particular. The 19th-Century Newspapers Database is a national resource with an especially strong Milwaukee presence. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Historical and Current Database is entirely local but has a broader chronological span. Both resources are fully searchable by keyword, and searches can by narrowed by date, newspaper section, and article type.
The results can be astounding. When I was working on a history of the local Jewish community for the Jewish Museum Milwaukee in 2008, I entered the keyword “Jewish” on the 19th-Century Database and got over 5,000 hits. I dutifully scrolled through every one of them and unearthed gems that probably hadn’t been seen since the day they were published. The highlights included an 1882 account of assimilated German Jews housing their strictly observant Russian brethren in temporary quarters just after they immigrated to Milwaukee and then calling in barbers to relieve the males of “their barbarous superfluity of hair.” One Orthodox immigrant resisted so strenuously that a policeman was summoned to make him cooperate.
If you’ve always been curious about that saloonkeeper ancestor of yours or wanted an eyewitness account of the 1892 fire that leveled much of the Third Ward, the newspaper databases are for you. And how do you access them? As always, your library card is your key to untold riches. My Milwaukee Public Library website is a portal to both databases; check with your local system if you live outside Milwaukee County.
Not sure where to go? Consult a map
Maps are another indispensable research resource. My terminal degree is in geography, not history, and maps are the quintessential geographer’s tool. Fire insurance atlases are particularly helpful for studying urban history. Rather than paying inspectors to compile risk reports on individual buildings, the insurance companies found it cheaper to create multi-volume atlases that included all of them: every structure on every lot on every block in a particular city, along with information about construction materials, types (and frequently names) of businesses, and the location of the nearest fire hydrants. These Sanborn maps, as they are usually called, are analog prototypes of Google Earth. With a little imagination, you can practically walk through your old neighborhood or the vanished neighborhoods of your ancestors.
I find it most efficient to use the original atlases at the Central Library, where they are on open shelves, or at the County Historical Society. (Handling the massive volumes could almost qualify as aerobic exercise.) If you prefer to do your research at home, online versions of the 1894 and 1910 Sanborn series are available through the Wisconsin Historical Society, the UW-Milwaukee Libraries, or the Milwaukee Public Library. You might find it helpful to start at mpl.org/local_history/maps_atlases.php.
City directories: an indispensable guide
City directories contain a different type of information. Beginning in 1847, just one year after Milwaukee incorporated, and continuing to the present, private companies have published annual directories that list every adult male (women appeared only as spouses or widows for many years), every business, and every institution in the city. The individual listings include home addresses and usually occupations, and a classified directory in the back of each book is organized by business and profession. (Want to know how many euphemistically named “soft drink parlors” Milwaukee had in 1922, near the midpoint of Prohibition? A total of 1,358.)
An extremely useful feature was added in 1921: a reverse directory of streets listing every occupant of every address in the city. You can compile the names of all the residents of a given area and then, if you like, cross-reference them by occupation. For a 2019 column, I used the 1925 city directory to identify every occupant inside the two-block footprint of Fiserv Forum. The tally included seven soft drink parlors, six restaurants, three real estate offices, two leather stores, two machine shops, two auto repair shops, a horseshoer, a tea shop, a plumber, a printer, a shirt manufacturer, a clothes presser, a carpet cleaner, a billiard hall, an undertaker, a junk dealer, 103 households, and, at what is now center court, the Ambrosia Chocolate plant.
Although you can find selected city directory listings on Ancestry.com, the full series is currently available only on microfilm or microfiche at the Central Library or in hard copy at the Central Library or the County Historical Society. The publishers didn’t waste money on expensive paper in most years; the older copies are slowly dissolving into piles of yellowed crumbs.
Newspaper databases, Sanborn maps, and city directories are obviously only three bright stars in a vast constellation of local history resources. There are innumerable others. Want quick but incisive information on nearly 700 Milwaukee history topics? Try UWM’s online Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. Interested in a visual record of Milwaukee’s marine history? Google “Milwaukee Waterways,” a Milwaukee Public Library collection. Want to learn more about the local civil rights movement? UWM’s “March on Milwaukee” is a great database. How about brewing history or the Socialist movement? The Milwaukee County Historical Society has excellent materials on both.
Although the balance is shifting to the digital side, local history research will be a hybrid of online and in-person study for the foreseeable future. Digital materials have the enormous advantage of being pandemic-proof. I still find it hard to believe that I spent more than a year without seeing the inside of a library, probably the longest stretch since I was an infant. During the worst of the shutdowns, when I was feeling like an orphan, online resources were a godsend.
But I think I’ll always have a preference for in-person research. Not only do I love the smell, the atmosphere, and the silent camaraderie of libraries, but I’m also a firm believer in adjacencies; browsing is most productive when all the materials you need are in one place and close at hand. Milwaukee has two excellent and indispensable historical archives: the Frank P. Zeidler Humanities Room on the second floor of the Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave.; and the research library of the Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Martin Luther King Drive. Both are open again, thank goodness, but their hours are still limited; check online for details.
Whether you’re a student, a genealogist, an armchair historian, or a budding professional, unearthing new facts and developing new insights about the history of our community is a delight like no other. There are countless trails to follow. As you blaze your own, happy hunting! | 2022-04-01T16:26:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Researching Wisconsin, local history easy once you know where to look | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/04/01/researching-wisconsin-local-history-easy-once-you-know-where-look/7218823001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/04/01/researching-wisconsin-local-history-easy-once-you-know-where-look/7218823001/ |
Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP and reigning NBA Finals MVP, delivered another MVP-like performance Thursday, when he willed the Bucks to a late rally over Brooklyn and became Milwaukee's all-time leading scorer in the process.
But even as he hits the final stage of a spectacular season, he's unlikely to win his third MVP award.
OddsChecker, which aggregates a number of betting websites, gives Antetokounmpo odds of +650 (in other words, someone betting $100 on Antetokounmpo would win $650). That's an implied chance of 13.3%, behind Nuggets star Nikola Jokic (64.9%) and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid (33.3%).
"How do you beat a guy who averages a near triple-double with a 61.9% eFG?" OddsChecker's Kyle Newman wrote. "Joel Embiid has had the best year of his career, with career-highs in points, assists, steals and turnovers ... Yet it’s not enough, for oddsmakers or bettors. Over the last seven days, Jokic has seen 38.2% of bets compared to Embiid’s 25.5%. Giannis is in a distant third at 13.7% of bets.”
After his consecutive games of scoring at least 40 points, Antetokounmpo entered the weekend close to a tie with LeBron James for the league scoring title, both at 30.1 points per game. Embiid was next at 30.0.
Jokic averages 26.5 points per game but also 13.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists for a team that entered the weekend tied for fifth in the Western Conference. By comparison, Antetokounmpo averages 11.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists, with Embiid at 11.5 boards and 4.2 assists.
Antetokounmpo averages fewer minutes than the other two but not by much, at 32.9 minutes per game compared to Embiid's 33.6 in the same number of contests and Jokic's 33.2 in seven more games.
Jokic, who won the 2021 MVP, doesn't just have favor with oddsmakers or bettors. Tim Bontemps of ESPN conducted a "straw poll" of media members, doing his best to mimic the MVP voting by capturing two voters from each of the league's 28 markets in addition to national and international reporters.
Though Antetokounmpo was named among the top five on all 100 ballots in the ESPN exercise (as was Jokic and Embiid), he finished well behind those two, with Jokic (860 points) garnering 62 points to topple Embiid (719).
A similar straw poll correctly foresaw Antetokounmpo winning in 2020 and Jokic last year.
Much was made Thursday of an exchange between Embiid and (briefly) former Bucks player J.J. Redick on Redick's "Old Man and the Three" podcast, where Redick indicated that Embiid and Kevin Durant were two of the three best players in the league. Embiid pushed back, wondering who the third was, and when Redick reluctantly went with Jokic, Embiid expressed surprise that Antetokounmpo wasn't in the conversation.
"Where's Giannis?" Embiid asked playfully. "That's the two-times MVP, finals MVP. That's crazy."
The NBA.com "MVP Tracker" updated Friday morning still had Embiid ahead of Jokic, but Antetokounmpo was also slotted third.
There's still a little bit of time, of course, and the Bucks are just a half-game behind Miami for first place in the East, with the 76ers falling to fourth after a loss Thursday. But Bucks fans shouldn't anticipate that there will be another MVP plaudit in the Wisconsin sports trophy case anytime soon. | 2022-04-01T16:26:37Z | www.jsonline.com | In race for NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic leads Joel Embiid and Bucks' Giannis | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/01/race-nba-mvp-award-nuggets-nikola-jokic-leads-76-ers-joel-embiid-and-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo/7243205001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/01/race-nba-mvp-award-nuggets-nikola-jokic-leads-76-ers-joel-embiid-and-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo/7243205001/ |
OCONOMOWOC - One person is dead after a fire in an Oconomowoc condominium late Thursday night.
The fire was reported at about 11:46 p.m. at a condo in the 900 block of Lake Country Court. The initial call was for an ambulance but was quickly upgraded to a structure fire with two residents trapped, according to a Western Lakes Fire District news release.
WLFD and Oconomowoc police responded. Officers arrived first and evacuated a male resident. The fire appeared to be mostly out, but because of heavy smoke and heat, officers were unable to reach a female resident and were forced to evacuate until WLFD arrived.
Firefighters arrived on scene soon after and found the female resident dead in the second-floor bedroom. The fire was isolated to the second floor of the single unit, the release said.
The other resident was assessed for smoke inhalation at the scene.
Due to the fatality, WLFD contacted the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). A joint investigation is being conducted by the Western Lakes Fire District, ATF, city of Oconomowoc Police Department, and Waukesha County Medical Examiner.
The fire was contained to a single unit in the complex. The cause of the fire is unknown. Initial findings appear to show that smoke detectors in the home were not in working order and did not alert residents.
More Oconomowoc news:Police officer charged with sexual assault while on duty
More:Oconomowoc bank robber, carjacker sentenced to 12 years in prison | 2022-04-01T19:36:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Oconomowoc condominium fire leaves one person dead | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/01/oconomowoc-condominium-fire-leaves-one-person-dead/7244587001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/01/oconomowoc-condominium-fire-leaves-one-person-dead/7244587001/ |
A day after Kohl's Corp. sent a letter to shareholders saying an activist investor has "an empty agenda," the investor has fired back.
Macellum Capital Management, which owns nearly 5% of Kohl's stock, said the company's letter to shareholders was "grossly inaccurate."
"Our previous assertions about the Company were taken out of context in an attempt to mislead shareholders," Macellum said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Kohl’s neglected to provide our full statements within their letter surrounding the undervalued stock price and poison pill."
More on Kohl's: Sen. Baldwin urges Kohl's board to consider the impact of a sale on employees, communities
In early February, Kohl's Corp. board of directors authorized a shareholder plan, often referred to as a "poison pill," which is designed to prevent anyone from acquiring more than 10% of the company.
Macellum, which is trying to take over the board with its own slate of directors, said it believes Kohl's could be worth more if the company pursues a different strategy.
"We believe that the stock is worth $100 (a share) only with a majority of the board replaced," Macellum said. "In previous statements, we asserted that a pill can be a 'stop look and listen' device, however, this type of pill is extremely onerous and intentionally designed to chill a sale process."
Kohl's declined to comment on Macellum's statements.
Kohl's has received multiple non-binding offers with no committed financing to purchase the company.
In Kohl's Thursday shareholder letter, the company emphasized its plans for the future and encouraged them to vote for the current board members, including the members the company added in a settlement with Macellum last year.
"As Kohl’s strategy has evolved, the board has proactively added the right capabilities and skill sets to accelerate Kohl’s transformation into the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle," the letter reads. "The board has added six new independent directors in three years, including the three directors who joined Kohl’s board last year as part of the Company’s settlement with Macellum, the hedge fund now seeking to take control of Kohl’s."
At its Investor Day in early March, Kohl's revealed its plans to open 100 smaller, more localized stores on top of its plans to add 400 Sephora stores at Kohl's locations.
However, after the Investor Day, Kohl's stock tumbled, which has not been lost on Macellum.
"Kohl’s falsely claims that analysts increased their estimates post earnings and analyst day," Macellum said. "In fact, estimates for Kohl’s earnings power at the culmination of their 3-year plan contracted by 15%, likely contributing to the 13% drop in stock the day of their highly anticipated, yet lackluster, analyst day."
On the stock fall after Investor Day, Kohl's has stated the decrease coincided with "a global market decline driven by heightened concerns of war in the Ukraine and a surge in global oil prices."
In the letter sent Thursday, Kohl's outlined how Macellum purchased roughly 2.6 million stock options before the company received an unsolicited offer from Acacia Research Group to purchase the company for $9 billion.
Macellum then started selling its options, netting about $27 million in roughly a week.
Kohl's is not alleging Macellum violated the law, and the activist investor has not commented directly on selling the options.
The two sides have been trying to court shareholders to their vision of the future in the lead up to the May 11 shareholder meeting. | 2022-04-01T19:37:26Z | www.jsonline.com | Macellum calls Kohl's Corp. shareholder letter 'grossly inaccurate' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/04/01/macellum-calls-kohls-corp-shareholder-letter-grossly-inaccurate/7243422001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/04/01/macellum-calls-kohls-corp-shareholder-letter-grossly-inaccurate/7243422001/ |
The Wisconsin basketball program embraced the April 1 spirit and posted on its home page and social media accounts that guard Brad Davison would be back for a sixth year in 2022-23, which is eerily plausible given his seemingly endless tenure with the program.
But nope, it's just an April Fool's joke, though you'd be forgiven if the eligibility guidelines have blurred in your brain since the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing incidence of transfers.
"It has been an absolute honor and privilege to represent the University of Wisconsin and wearing the jersey for the last five years," Davison said in a video he posted to Twitter explaining that it was just a joke. "So many great memories, so many great relationships and experiences made along the way. I'm extremely thankful to be a Badger for life.
"April Fools, I will not be returning for a sixth year. I wish I could try to come back and win another Big Ten title for our program, but the best is yet to come."
Har har.
Davison, who ends his career first in UW program history with 155 starts and 299 career 3-pointers, competed Thursday night in the college 3-point contest in New Orleans in advance of the Final Four, beginning Saturday.
Davison finished second among men's players, falling to Iowa's Jordan Bohannon in the finals, 18-17. It's fitting, given that Bohannon became a bit of a villain for Wisconsin fans this year when he complained about officiating after UW's win over Iowa in January. Bohannon's brothers, Jason and Zach, attended UW.
Abby Schnable of the Wisconsin State Journal noted that the two are still friends and had a friendly wager on the outcome, though it appears third-place finisher Sasha Stefanovic of Purdue will have to pay for rounds of golf for both.
Davison was also slated to participate in a 3-on-3 tournament and a college all-star game during the weekend.
Milwaukee native Alondes Williams of Wake Forest, the ACC player of the year, took second in the dunk contest that followed, edged by Houston's Taze Moore. | 2022-04-01T19:37:44Z | www.jsonline.com | April Fools: No, Brad Davison isn't coming back to Wisconsin Badgers | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/01/april-fools-no-brad-davison-isnt-coming-back-wisconsin-badgers/7245457001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/01/april-fools-no-brad-davison-isnt-coming-back-wisconsin-badgers/7245457001/ |
PHOENIX – The Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen is becoming a little more crystallized each day.
Manager Craig Counsell announced Friday that right-hander Trevor Gott has been informed he'll be part of the team's opening day roster.
"It's awesome," Gott, 29, said. "I've made a couple opening day rosters and I would say this one means the most coming off the past couple years that I had.
"I really appreciate it."
Gott's past couple years have indeed featured some ups and downs.
He opened the pandemic-shortened 2020 season as the closer for the San Francisco Giants and recorded saves in his first four opportunities before struggling badly, being dropped in the bullpen pecking order and ultimately sidelined for the final month of the season with an injury.
Gott then spent all of 2021 at Class AAA Sacramento before signing with the Brewers in the offseason.
"He's pitched very well this spring," Counsell said. "We just really liked the direction he's headed. He's excited about what's ahead of him here. He's definitely going to get opportunities."
Gott had two factors working in his favor this spring.
The most important, of course, was his performance in four outings – a 2.25 earned run average, WHIP of 1.00 and five strikeouts in four innings.
Gott is also out of minor-league options, meaning the Brewers would potentially lose him if they designated him for assignment.
"I just came in, wasn't expecting much. I was just trying to be myself. I was comfortable, confident and I didn't put a lot of pressure on myself.
"I can't wait to be back out on a major-league mound, confident, throwing all my stuff. I feel better than I've ever been, and I'm just really excited."
Gott, who's also pitched for the Angels and Nationals, is 13-6 with a 5.01 ERA and WHIP of 1.36 and five saves in 136 career appearances. He's also struck out 116 in 140 innings.
As things stand, the Brewers' bullpen consists of closer Josh Hader, setup man Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger, Brent Suter, swing man Aaron Ashby, Jake Cousins and Gott.
Assuming there will be 10 relievers on the expanded opening day roster, that would leave three spots with José Ureña getting another if he's deemed healthy enough and ready to pitch (he'll make his first and only Cactus League appearance Sunday).
Another candidate, right-hander Luis Perdomo, will pitch for a final time in Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Fields.
Gott, as is the case with most relievers in Milwaukee's bullpen, will have a role as an "out-getter," as Counsell likes to call them. Gott said he doesn't have a lot of experience pitching multiple innings, but that he's open to anything.
"I am perfectly fine with that," he said. "I'm happy in any role.
"There's elite arms in that bullpen. Everyone offers something different, I think. There's different mentalities and I think everyone will feed off each other great. I think the success Milwaukee has had with their pitchers speaks for itself.
"So, I'm just excited to be a part of it."
Also on Friday, the Brewers returned Josh Lindblom to minor-league camp. In the final season of a three-year, $9.125 million contract, the right-hander pitched just one inning for the Brewers in Cactus League play.
He's slated to once again start games for Class AAA Nashville. | 2022-04-01T19:37:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Reliever Trevor Gott makes Milwaukee Brewers' opening day roster | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/01/reliever-trevor-gott-makes-milwaukee-brewers-opening-day-roster/7243054001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/01/reliever-trevor-gott-makes-milwaukee-brewers-opening-day-roster/7243054001/ |
'Catalyst for change': Sen. Baldwin, County Exec Crowley see promise in new Milwaukee County Mental Health Emergency Center
Vanessa Swales Evan Casey
With shiny new floors and gleaming windows, Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley toured the newly minted, albeit empty Milwaukee County Mental Health Emergency Center on Friday.
The tour was set as a soft launch of the new 24/7 crisis center that would admit both involuntary and voluntary adult and child patients requiring mental health assessments, treatment, stabilization as well as transitional care.
The new facility — located west of the I-43 at 1525 N. 12th St. in the city's King Park neighborhood — is scheduled to open in September 2022, replacing the Behavioral Health Division’s outdated and costly Mental Health Complex in Wauwatosa.
Built in the 1970s, the Wauwatosa site has long been criticized as being an underfunded, understaffed and an overwhelmed hospital that for years struggled with unsafe conditions for patients as well as for nurses and other workers.
The public-private partnership between Milwaukee County, Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, and Froedtert Health to conceive and create the new site aims to tackle the county's ongoing mental health crisis.
As it stands, suicide rates are hitting an all-time high in Milwaukee, with cases "tracking 60 percent higher this year than 2021, and 63 percent higher than 2020," according to Dr. Brian Peterson, Milwaukee County's Chief Medical Examiner.
Drug overdose deaths have also risen in Milwaukee County as the opioid epidemic has raged on nationwide. In 2019 there were 418 drug overdose deaths reported in Milwaukee County. In 2021, updated numbers from the county reveal that number rose to 643 deaths — a 53% increase in that statistic in just two years.
Baldwin described the increasing strain the COVID-19 pandemic has had on mental health as well as substance abuse, with the mix of isolation, poor social contact and remote work, schooling and lack of child care.
"We've seen the crisis we're having right now with mental illness," Baldwin said. "This mental health emergency center is a pivotal role in crisis intervention and an appropriate referral for follow-on treatment."
In March, Baldwin announced in a news release that she had worked to secure just over $2.5 million for the center. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced last August that he was allocating $5.7 million for the center.
New location, new design, growing needs
The relocation to a more centric location in the city seemed a more logical choice for the new site, as more than 90% of current patients who come to the Wauwatosa complex are Milwaukee residents and 71% living in the 53205 ZIP code where the center is located or one of the contiguous 10 ZIP codes, according to health officials.
For Crowley, the center will be a "catalyst for change."
"We want to make sure that people in this neighborhood, those that have been affected by the crises for the past few years, know where they can go, and we want this to be one of those places," Crowley said during the tour.
While the new facility is anticipating that 70% of its patients will be adults and 30% children, officials said that they expect a shift in the numbers and needs given its new location in the heart of Milwaukee.
The center will feature different entrances for voluntary and involuntary patients requiring help and a larger, separate space for treating children.
“We did everything we could to make this space as welcoming as possible,” said Michael Lappen, administrator for the Milwaukee County's Behavioral Health Division.
He also explained that multilingual services will be available on-site.
“It could be a housing issue. It could be an issue with their family. It could be something else,” said Lappen, referring to the facility's "no wrong door" policy.
“We will treat their emergency situation with their mental health. We really want to connect them with those things that mean they don't have to come back,” Lappen said.
There are some limits, however, to what services can be rendered by the facility.
When questioned by Baldwin about residents seeking substance abuse-related mental health support, officials noted that they would only be able to test those patients and could not provide treatment. Referrals, however, would be provided.
"We will serve anyone who needs us," Lappen said.
There will be a transition period as the old Wauwatosa site closes and the King Park location opens. But, for now, the plan is up in the air, according to officials.
“It's either going to be a simultaneous thing, or, if we could — it's all depending on staff — we would be open a little bit early so we would be operating together at the same time," said Kevin Kluesner, the administrator of the new emergency center.
Currently, Kluesner estimates that the center has 50% of the staff needed to run the new site and will be fully staffed by the September opening.
"We're still recruiting right now, but we're in a good place," Kluesner said. "I think next month it'll be much better." | 2022-04-01T22:30:57Z | www.jsonline.com | Baldwin, Crowley tour Milwaukee County Mental Health Emergency Center | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/01/baldwin-crowley-tour-milwaukee-county-mental-health-emergency-center/7245313001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/01/baldwin-crowley-tour-milwaukee-county-mental-health-emergency-center/7245313001/ |
Following reports of alleged discriminatory practices that denied entry to Milwaukee teens, Skateland in Waukesha said it has updated its policies and is open to all.
"We want everyone to know we are extending the invitation for all to come together, enjoy themselves, and have safe and secure fun," the management team wrote in a Friday Facebook post.
The post came the same day the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a column about the business, 1931 E. Main St., in which a Milwaukee mom said her teenage daughter, who is Black, was turned away from the business because she lived in Milwaukee.
Laney Anderson also recorded a phone conversation with a Skateland employee after her daughter was denied entry in which the employee confirmed it was the business's policy not to allow Milwaukee teens to skate there.
Waukesha Skateland's new policy went into effect immediately, the Facebook post said. A full list of the business's rules and dress code can be found online here. | 2022-04-02T15:28:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Waukesha Skateland changes policies after reports of discrimination | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/2022/04/02/waukesha-skateland-changes-policies-after-reports-discrimination/7255167001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/2022/04/02/waukesha-skateland-changes-policies-after-reports-discrimination/7255167001/ |
Study co-authored by a UW researcher finds benefit to treating women even with just mild high blood pressure
Pregnant women with mild high blood pressure and their babies can benefit from treatment, according to a large study co-authored by a researcher at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Current national guidelines only suggest treating pregnant women with severe high blood pressure, but that could change following the new study, which was published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Guidelines are set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Until the new study, there had been some concern that taking blood pressure medication while pregnant might increase the risk that babies would be born small for their gestational age.
However researchers studying 2,400 pregnant women around the country found no significant difference in size between babies born to mothers who were treated for their mild high blood pressure, and those born to mothers who went untreated.
Moreover, the women who received treatment were less likely than the untreated women to develop serious conditions such as severe preeclampsia, preterm birth and death of the fetus. Preeclampsia involves high blood pressure and can lead to serious, even fatal complications for both mothers and babies.
"This might be an opportunity to reduce hypertension-related complications for the mom and the baby," said Kara Hoppe, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UW and one of the co-authors of the study.
Hoppe added that one bad outcome is prevented with every 14 pregnant women who receive treatment for their blood pressure.
The women in the study all had chronic, but not severe, high blood pressure. Some of the women were treated for their high blood pressure with medications such as labetalol and nifedipine; the other women received no blood pressure treatment.
Of the untreated women, 37% experienced preeclampsia and other complications; only 30% of the treated women experienced the complications.
Of the untreated women, 16.7% delivered their babies early, before 35 weeks; only 12.2% of the treated group delivered before 35 weeks.
To be included in the trial, women had to have blood pressure in the range from 160/110 down to 140/90. The top number in these readings measures the blood pressure in the arteries each time the heart beats. The bottom number measures the blood pressure as the heart relaxes between beats.
Women enrolled in the trial between 20 to 23 weeks into their pregnancy and were followed until two weeks after the delivery of the baby.
The study was conducted at 70 academic medical centers, including UW Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin. | 2022-04-02T15:29:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Pregnant women with mild high blood pressure benefit from treatment | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/02/pregnant-women-mild-high-blood-pressure-benefit-treatment/7248838001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/02/pregnant-women-mild-high-blood-pressure-benefit-treatment/7248838001/ |
Three former Milwaukee Bucks coaches were named to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 on Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Final Four.
George Karl, Del Harris and Larry Costello were among the 13 chosen, the hall announced.
Former Bucks star Marques Johnson was not voted in on his fourth year as a finalist. He is already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame for his exploits at UCLA.
Karl was in his first year as a finalist.
Karl is the sixth-winningest coach in NBA history. He led the 2000-01 Bucks to the Eastern Conference finals and went 205-173 in five seasons leading the team. His induction was first reported Thursday.
Even though he came to Milwaukee having reached an NBA Finals with Seattle, Karl acknowledged that coaching the Bucks and their three stars, Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, forced him to adapt as a coach.
“My first year I was very frustrated because everything that we did in Seattle was predicated on our defense,” he told the Journal Sentinel. “Now I came to Milwaukee and none of our defense worked. But I also had four guys who could score 35 on any given night. That was unbelievable.
“For me, I had to adapt. Our strength was our offense. We had the ability to score 110, 120. A lot of teams that we were playing didn’t have ability. So, I started letting Sam, Glenn and Ray have a little more freedom.
“You always have your heart on the defensive end of the court, at least I do. But in the same sense I thought instead of being a fundamentally macho tough-minded, Detroit Piston, blue-collar defensive team, I thought we got to become a good defensive team by being cute – by matchups and by double-teams and by zones.
“We had to do it, rather than a demanding everyday mentality, it was kind of how are we going to do it this game? There was more strategy and fun and fortunately we had a good basketball IQ.”
Costello and Harris were being considered as contributors to the game as opposed to as just coaches.
As a player in Philadelphia, Costello was a six-time all-star and part of the 76ers’ 1967 championship team. He retired after the 1967-68 season and came right to Milwaukee to coach the expansion Bucks in 1968-69.
He led the Bucks to their first title in 1971 and back to the finals in 1974 as part of six trips to the postseason. He compiled a 410-264 record in nine seasons in Milwaukee. He coached one season in Chicago and also coached the Milwaukee Does women’s basketball team.
“He is surely overdue. I don’t know why they treat us Bucks players and coaches so bad,” Hall of Fame player Bob Dandridge said. “They may just want to see how much patience we have. Surely Larry and Marques are very much deserving of the honor.”
Harris came to Milwaukee first as a consultant for Don Nelson and then an assistant coach before taking over in the 1987-88 season. He coached the Bucks through 1991-92, compiling a 191-154 record in the regular season and 6-15 mark in the playoffs. Harris also was a head coach in Houston and for the Los Angeles Lakers while assisting in Dallas, Chicago and New Jersey.
He received the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the hall of fame in 2019 and the NBA’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. | 2022-04-02T19:28:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks coaches Larry Costello, Del Harris, George Karl in hall of fame | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/02/former-bucks-coaches-larry-costello-del-harris-george-karl-in-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2022/7250296001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/02/former-bucks-coaches-larry-costello-del-harris-george-karl-in-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2022/7250296001/ |
MADISON – Johnny Davis added another individual honor to his resume on Saturday.
Davis, who led Wisconsin to a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and was a consensus first-team All-American, was named winner of the Jerry West Award.
That award is given annually to the best shooting guard in the country.
The other finalists were: Jaden Ivey of Purdue; Ochai Agbaji of Kansas Bennedict Mathurin of Arizona and Johnny Juzang of UCLA.
Davis, who recently announced he is entering the 2022 NBA draft, led UW in scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounds (8.2), finished second on the team in steals (36) and third in assists (66).
"I'm honored to win the Jerry West award and to be named the best shooting guard in college basketball this season," Davis said in a video posted on Twitter. "I want to thank Jerry West and the Basketball Hall of Fame for recognizing my talents and honoring me with this award.
"I would like to thank my teammates and coaches for being able to help me be the player that I am and to help me win this award.
"None of this is possible without the unforgettable season that we had this year." | 2022-04-02T22:57:02Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin's Johnny Davis wins Jerry West Award as best shooting guard | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/02/wisconsins-johnny-davis-wins-jerry-west-award-best-shooting-guard/7257029001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/02/wisconsins-johnny-davis-wins-jerry-west-award-best-shooting-guard/7257029001/ |
“I’ve always seen myself as a big-league hitter," he continued. "I’ve always thought of pitching as the backup plan; it was never really the reality. So, to have this actually be part of my resume or whatever you want to call it is beyond belief.
More:José Ureña officially joins the Brewers, becomes another bullpen option; Hunter Renfroe testing new position
McKinley, now Milwaukee's vice president of player development, loved the progress Erceg made and expects to see even more this season with hitting taken completely off the table.
"There's definitely some intriguing ingredients there," he said. "I'm stoked to see how he does, having more of a sole focus. I think it's tough to navigate two things.
"I trust he'll do really, really well."
"I think we're all excited about where Lucas is at right now," said manager Craig Counsell afterward. "He's a pitcher now and he's comfortable pitching. It's full-time pitching, and he's making progress.
"His stuff obviously makes you take note, and we've just got to get him out there and keep going in the right direction. There's something there, for sure."
"It's a matter of me harnessing and trying to stay within myself and not just whip the ball as hard as I can," he said. "What I kind of struggled with last year was, I was so excited and so amped up, just happy to be on the mound – I cared about throwing strikes, obviously – but me trying to hit triple digits kind of got in the way of that.
"This offseason I kind of honed in on mechanics, moving down the mound more efficiently, putting my body in a more consistent position to throw strikes and I think it’s correlated to my sessions so far this spring."
"This game’s tough," he said. "You just have to make an adjustment. Obviously, we like to think we do on a daily basis, but there’s some demands that just weren’t met by me in the Brewers’ eyes and I think my goal now is to just focus on how I can improve and be open and honest about what I’m feeling and trying to work on and having a plan moving forward.
"But this game will humble you hard. Second-round pick and I’m still grinding. It’s obviously a great opportunity and I love every moment, but there’s not so many second chances and I’m one of those guys that’s just in the mosh pit right now and we’re trying to fight our way out.
"But that’s what it’s about. It’s good that we’re able to still do it." | 2022-04-02T22:57:08Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers former third-base prospect Lucas Erceg is now pitching | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/02/brewers-former-third-base-prospect-lucas-erceg-now-pitching/7250411001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/02/brewers-former-third-base-prospect-lucas-erceg-now-pitching/7250411001/ |
Another round of April snow is on the way for the Milwaukee area and parts of central Wisconsin. It could make for a slushy Monday morning commute for some.
"We're still in that active period we've been seeing the last couple of weeks," said Jaclyn Anderson, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Sullivan. "It's still going to be active this week with multiple rounds of precipitation possible."
Snow is expected to move in late Sunday night and fall into the morning. The primary area for snow accumulations is expected to be from Kenosha and Racine counties up through portions of central Wisconsin, around Clark County, Anderson said.
The Milwaukee area could see an inch or two of snow accumulation.
Between roughly 8 and 10 a.m., any lingering snow in southern Wisconsin is expected to switch over to rain, Anderson said.
The snow may continue longer across east central parts of the state, including the Fox Valley, Sheboygan and Manitowoc areas, she said.
Washington, Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties, as well as other areas in central Wisconsin, could see more than two inches of snow.
"Anywhere where it does accumulate on the roads, it is going to be that wet, slushy snow," Anderson said. "There could be some travel impacts around portions of the area tomorrow morning, especially during that Monday morning commute."
It's probably going to be more of a concern north of Milwaukee, she said, but "it's still not out of the question" that it could affect driving conditions around the city.
Looking ahead, rain is in the forecast for southern parts of the state Tuesday night through Wednesday, according to Anderson.
The next chance of snow for southern and central parts of the state is Friday, she said. | 2022-04-03T22:43:30Z | www.jsonline.com | Chance of snow for parts of southeast, central Wisconsin overnight | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/04/03/chance-snow-parts-southeast-central-wisconsin-overnight/7263719001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/04/03/chance-snow-parts-southeast-central-wisconsin-overnight/7263719001/ |
A note to readers of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Good Morning section
Beginning April 4, some changes are coming to the Journal Sentinel’s Good Morning section.
The changes are part of an effort across the USA TODAY Network to make comics and puzzles sections more consistent to save resources in designing them and negotiating contracts with the services that provide them.
Here’s what you’ll see.
In Good Morning
Most of the Good Morning lineup remains the same, although you will find a few new puzzles and some of your old favorites in new locations. Carolyn Hax’s column, the Jumble, CryptoQuip and all the same comics remain.
But there are some differences:
You’ll find five new puzzles — Kubok, a numbers puzzle similar to Sudoku but with more math; 7 Little Words, a clue-based word puzzle; Scrabble Grams, a mini-version of the popular board game; KenKen, a Sudoko-like number puzzle; and Find the Words, a themed word search that reveals the puzzle’s alternative theme.
Jacqueline E. Mathews’ Daily Commuter crossword puzzle is replacing the former puzzle by Eugene Sheffer. The Sudoku puzzle and horoscopes also come from different syndicates.
The prime-time TV listings have been replaced by a TV highlights roundup, a guide to the night’s best programming — whether it’s on over-the-air television, cable or streaming services.
The Word Game has been discontinued because it is no longer available to the Journal Sentinel.
Changes coming Sundays, too
Starting Sunday, the Sunday Comics section will include the same comics as before. But the layout will be slightly different.
Other changes to the Sunday section include:
As with the daily Journal Sentinel, the Sudoku and horoscopes will be from new sources.
The Jumble has been added to the section.
In the Sunday Life section, as in the Good Morning section, the prime-time TV listings will be replaced by a TV highlights package. Carolyn Hax’s column will continue, and the Kubok puzzle will also run in the section.
For April 10 only, the Sunday crossword puzzle is running in the Life section. elsewhere in the Journal Sentinel. Starting April 17, it will return to the Sunday Comics section.
More content online
Subscribers can now access the e-editions of more than 200 USA TODAY Network newspapers, including USA TODAY. Some of them carry a different assortment of comics and puzzles. At the top of jsonline.com, click on the “e-edition” tab; when you get to the e-edition page, click on the “Universal” button on the right-hand side and you’ll see the list of available newspapers, including the Arizona Republic, the Detroit Free Press and all 11 Gannett papers in Wisconsin. And each e-edition of the Journal Sentinel includes bonus content, including a National and World News section and a National Sports section that carries all the latest scores.
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If you have questions about these changes, you can access your account at help.jsonline.com, call customer service at 844-900-7103 or email the Journal Sentinel at milwaukeejournalsentinel@gannett.com. | 2022-04-04T11:33:24Z | www.jsonline.com | Note to readers of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Good Morning section | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2022/04/04/note-readers-milwaukee-journal-sentinel-good-morning-section/7243542001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2022/04/04/note-readers-milwaukee-journal-sentinel-good-morning-section/7243542001/ |
DANIEL BICE
Now that state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is running for U.S. Senate, she is very concerned about the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs.
"For decades, Washington politicians have promised to lower the cost of prescription drugs," Godlewski says in a recent TV ad.
"But every year the prices go up. Why? Because Republicans like Ron Johnson and — let's be honest — too many Democrats don't have the guts to stand up to the pharmaceutical companies. I'm Sarah Godlewski, and I will."
But the multimillionaire Democrat had a different attitude about Big Pharma when deciding where to invest her vast wealth.
According to her personal financial disclosure statement filed last August, Godlewski and her husband, Max Duckworth, were sitting on stock in 14 pharmaceutical companies at a total value of between about $64,000 and $446,000.
The companies Godlewski had invested in included such major firms as Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Co. and Amgen Inc.
Irene Lin, campaign manager for fellow Democratic candidate Tom Nelson, said Godlewski appears to be personally profiting off of companies that she is now attacking for political gain. Nelson, the Outagamie County executive, and Godlewski are among 10 Democrats running for the right to take on Johnson, a Republican
"Why is she so heavily invested in Big Pharma if she believes they are harming Wisconsinites? Do they make pills to cure irony?" Lin said. "We need a senator we can trust to fight for us, and not their stock portfolio."
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Godlewski's campaign responded by saying that she and her husband sold their holdings in 13 of the 14 pharmaceutical companies late last year and the final one this year. The campaign did not say how much money she made off of these sales.
The campaign noted that those Big Pharma stocks, which are popular because they provide reliable income, were bought and sold in the course of routine investment management. She was not involved, the campaign said, in the day-to-day buying and selling of her stocks.
"I'm running to serve Wisconsin, not myself," Godlewski said in a statement. "That's what I’ve done as state treasurer, and as your senator, I'll fight for a wealth tax, pass a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and stop the big drug companies from ripping off those who can't afford life-saving prescription medicine."
Lasry held stock in China-based firms
The situation is similar to one involving Democratic candidate Alex Lasry, who ran a television ad to "finally stand up to China."
Lasry held stock in at least three China-based firms — Chindata, Tencent and Alibaba — for between $101,000 and $202,500, according to his August financial report. Lasry campaign officials say he has sold off all of those stock holdings.
Investments are likely to be a bigger issue for Lasry and Godlewski since they are the only multimillionaires among the Democrats. Johnson also has deep pockets but has been reluctant to fund his campaign since his first election in 2010.
Earlier this year, Godlewski reported she and Duckworth have assets worth between $23.9 million and $60 million, according to a Journal Sentinel analysis. Among their holdings are seven rental properties, including a Washington, D.C., condo they bought in 2017 for $1.2 million.
It cannot be determined if she used any of the money from the sale of her shares of pharmaceutical company stock to pay for her recent round of TV ads.
Last month, she posted a 30-second TV spot and a four-page plan for reining in the cost of prescription drugs. Her plan would allow Medicaid to negotiate for lower drug costs, cap out-of-pocket prescription costs for seniors and limit the price of widely used prescription pills.
"As pharmaceutical companies pull in record profits, folks are skipping pills to make their prescriptions last a little longer, while others are having to choose between their groceries and their life-saving medicine," Godlewski's plan said.
According to her financial disclosure forms, the largest stock she owned was in AbbVie, an Illinois-based biopharmaceutical company that was a spinoff of Abbott Laboratories, and Amgen in Thousand Oaks, California.
Godlewski held corporate securities of between $18,000 and $96,000 in each of the two firms. Federal disclosure forms do not require candidates to list their exact holdings, only a range for their different investments.
She and her husband also had stock holdings of $15,000 to $50,000 in BioXcel Therapeutics and between $3,000 and $46,000 in Abbott Labs.
In the year before the 2021 filing, Godlewski reported that she and her husband received dividends or capital gains from their drug company holdings of some $13,300 to $42,600.
Abbott Labs, AbbVie and Amgen are among the 20 pharmaceutical companies that have given the most to federal candidates during the 2021-22 cycle, according to OpenSecrets.org.
Godlewski emphasized in her statement that she has taken no donations from political action committees run by pharmaceutical companies or any other corporation.
"Wisconsinites know I'll have their back because I've never taken a dime of special interest corporate PAC money, and I never will — something not every candidate in this race can say," Godlewski said.
Godlewski did not name which opponents she might be criticizing.
But in 2016, Nelson did receive a $1,000 donation from the PAC for U.S. Venture Inc., a fuel distributor based in Kimberly, near Nelson's residence in Appleton.
Nelson's campaign said it did not appreciate the veiled criticism. Lin said that 6-year-old donation comes from an important Outagamie County firm that employs hundreds of state residents.
"Wisconsinites getting gouged by big Pharma already knew they were corrupt," Lin said. "But Sarah Godlewski only discovered this after launching her U.S. Senate campaign and now self-funds her campaign ads with lucrative Pharma stock profits."
Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice. | 2022-04-04T11:33:36Z | www.jsonline.com | Sarah Godlewski sells stock in drug companies before attacking them | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2022/04/04/sarah-godlewski-sells-stock-drug-companies-before-attacking-them/7244298001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2022/04/04/sarah-godlewski-sells-stock-drug-companies-before-attacking-them/7244298001/ |
Tall ships fans will have to wait at least one more year to see the S/V Denis Sullivan sailing on Lake Michigan again.
The 137-foot ship — the world's only replica of a 19th-century three-masted Great Lakes schooner — will remain docked at Discovery World again this year, according to museum President and CEO Bryan Wunar. And its future at the museum is being reevaluated as Discovery World begins the process of seeking ways to use and care for the ship.
The decision to not sail this year was mostly a product of the Sullivan not having a captain.
In February 2021, Capt. Tiffany Krihwan, who had been the ship's captain since 2008 and Discovery World's director of marine operations since 2014, accepted a new job as captain of the schooner Ernestina-Morrissey at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
When Krihwan became the Denis Sullivan's captain in 2008, she was one of only a handful of female tall ships captains in the industry; today, women represent 10% of all tall ships captains. In 2019, Krihwan won the Tall Ships America Sail Trainer of the Year award, which is given to a member “who has made a significant contribution to sail training through the demonstration of leadership by means of empowerment and inspiration.”
RELATED:S.V. Denis Sullivan captain Tiffany Krihwan on history of women at the helm
After not sailing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Krihwan and Chief Mate Jonny Slanga — the ship's only year-round crew, who are responsible for maintenance of the boat in the winter — were furloughed indefinitely in October of that year. With the future of the Sullivan uncertain, both pursued new opportunities in 2021.
Discovery World began searching for a new captain in August but had difficulty wooing candidates who had moved to more lucrative commercial jobs, as was the case for Slanga.
"Even though I think we're on the upper end of the spectrum of compensation for our captain, we can't compete with compensation on the merchant side of sailing," Wunar said, noting they talked to other organizations in the tall ships community who were struggling with a similar problem. "The price that (commercial merchants) can command right now is not something that an educational nonprofit can afford."
New plan for Denis Sullivan
As Discovery World began talking to those other organizations, they also began exploring other possibilities for the Sullivan.
"Right now, as we're going through this period, we're exploring — is the approach that we've used in the past, is that the right approach? Are there other organizations that we need to be working with? Are there opportunities to sort of share resources with other partners?" Wunar said. "So right now, rather than just simply moving forward with the thought of, let's go back to where we were, maybe the path forward looks a little bit different."
Wunar doesn't know what that path looks like, but they started their exploratory process with Tall Ships America, a nonprofit focused on North America's maritime heritage. Through that organization, Discovery World began looking at what other groups similar to theirs do with their tall ships — from some that operate the ships year-round to others that only have dockside programs to others whose entire focus is maritime education and history.
The process has Discovery World thinking about new opportunities for the ship, including some that other organizations might take on.
Simultaneously, the museum is undergoing a strategic planning process to be completed by the fall, according to Wunar.
"It's giving us a chance to sort of redefine what is our scope of content. … How do we engage people from communities that we have not had a direct impact on and that, in some cases, have been historically excluded from STEM education opportunities?" he said. "So as we go through that and redefine that scope, there's that chance for us to think about not just the Sullivan, but all of the kinds of resources we have here. … What are the things that are very uniquely Discovery World, and then how do we use that to make sure that everything we do is guided by our educational mission, and that we're not just adding on side projects, but instead, they all try to meet some of those common goals."
A lot has changed for Discovery World and the Sullivan since it was completed in 2000.
The ship was built by the nonprofit Wisconsin Lake Schooner Education Association. Nearly 400 volunteers put in almost 1 million hours of work to build the schooner at a cost of $4.2 million. The group did it in a shipyard at the end of Michigan Street along the lakefront, home to Discovery World today. At the time, however, the museum shared a building with the Milwaukee Public Museum at 815 N. Lovell Ave.
The WLSEA hoped to build an educational center at the shipyard site for visitors to learn about Great Lakes history and ecology (called Pier Wisconsin), while another group, Great Lakes Future, had a similar idea. Discovery World simultaneously was looking for a new home.
Businessman and philanthropist Michael Cudahy — who was on Discovery World's board of directors — supported the Pier Wisconsin proposal and brought the three groups together. In 2006, the museum moved to its current home at Pier Wisconsin, where the Sullivan was docked.
Since then, the schooner has docked at Discovery World in the summer, where museum staff and volunteers conduct educational events, day sails and overnight adventures, sometimes sailing to other ports on the Great Lakes to take part in tall ships festivals.
As Discovery World explores options for the ship's future, the museum is not ruling out that it could have new owners or dock elsewhere.
"At this point, we're exploring all options," Wunar said. "We don't have an intended outcome. But if it turned out that there was an organization that their utilization of the Sullivan might support their mission and what that intent was, I think we'd want to talk about it."
The Sullivan, which costs $70,000 annually to maintain when it's not sailing and about $250,000 when it is, is "clearly not a moneymaker" for the museum most years, Wunar said. But finances won't factor into Discovery World caring for the schooner.
"There's a major financial commitment, regardless of how we're using the Sullivan, and that's something that we've been committed to throughout the years," he said. "Even now, we're committed to making sure that the financial aspect is not the reason that we will not care for it. It's just the opposite. We're making the financial commitment to ensure that Sullivan is very well maintained going forward."
Denis Sullivan in 'best shape'
For now, the ship remains docked at Discovery World, where it has been for most of the past year. Wunar said instead of moving it up the Menomonee River to its winter dock, they decided to keep it at Discovery World not only as a way to reduce costs but also so they could have constant access to it and keep working on it.
After Krihwan and Slanga were furloughed in 2020, there was concern among volunteers and Sullivan fans that the ship wouldn't receive the maintenance it needed.
But Wunar said it's in "the best shape that it's been in in a very long time." Staff and volunteers have been working with a professional shipwright on maintenance over the past year — some of it deferred from even before the pandemic — in addition to integrating the ship's systems with the museum's systems for better safety and security.
Tom Martens said the ship was in "decent shape" when he last saw it in January, noting Discovery World had done "quite a bit of work" on it.
Martens sits on Discovery World's S/V Denis Sullivan committee as a representative of the Friends of the S/V Denis Sullivan, an unofficial group that was formed about a decade ago and found new life during the pandemic.
The group started a GoFundMe in 2020 that raised almost $20,000 for the ship, and volunteers have been helping with maintenance over the winter. In the past volunteers have also served as sailors and educators, which is how Martens, who lives in Chicago, got involved about eight years ago.
Despite the Sullivan being in good shape, however, there's not much hope for even dockside programs this year. Without a properly licensed crew, only Discovery World staff and trained volunteers and contractors can step foot on board, per Coast Guard regulations, Wunar said.
But Discovery World has added some informational signs about the Sullivan to the south dock where it now sits, and the museum will incorporate the ship in its other programs, from freshwater content in its Reiman Aquarium to learn-to-sail summer camps in partnership with the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center.
Whatever its future might hold, the Sullivan will sail again, if Wunar has his way.
"I think the ideal is that the Sullivan is not docked indefinitely," he said, "that the Sullivan is able to sail, it's able to be utilized to explore the Great Lakes, it's able to be utilized to inspire a really broad range of audience from young children, who oftentimes haven't even been down to the lakefront, all the way up to those interested adults who are avid sailors that this is a way for them to sort of step on board and step back in time."
Martens, too, hopes to see the Sullivan take to Lake Michigan again.
"A number of people when I've been up in Milwaukee will come up to me and … they'll comment about how they love seeing the boat sail up and down the Milwaukee shoreline with the sails up … it is kind of iconic," he said.
More information: Discovery World, 500 N Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, is currently open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $20 for adults; $16 for children (ages 3-17) and seniors (60 and older); $14 for college students, active military and veterans; and free for children ages 2 and under.
For more information on volunteering with the Denis Sullivan or other opportunities at Discovery World, see discoveryworld.org/volunteering or call (414) 765-9966. | 2022-04-04T13:57:31Z | www.jsonline.com | Denis Sullivan won't sail in 2022; Discovery World explores options | https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2022/04/04/denis-sullivan-tall-ship-2022-discovery-world-milwaukee/7221745001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2022/04/04/denis-sullivan-tall-ship-2022-discovery-world-milwaukee/7221745001/ |
VILLAGE OF PEWAUKEE - Five squad cars for the Pewaukee Police Department will have an additional logo on them this month.
To kick off Autism Awareness Month on April 1, the department invited local residents who have children with autism to affix Autism Awareness magnets on its squad cars. The magnets will be on the vehicles throughout the month.
"We thought it was appropriate to reach out to show the community that first responders are here to help them in their time of need," said Deputy Chief Mark Garry. "First responders can understand that there are certain actions or circumstances that cause a little difficulty in communication and how do we break down those barriers so that we can get them the help they need. We want to have that outreach that is inclusive for all members of the community."
The idea came from Village Trustee Chris Krasovich, whose son, Jacob, has autism. She approached the department about connecting with families with children who have autism.
Police Chief Tim Heier and Garry responded by suggesting the event for Autism Awareness Month. In addition to putting the magnets on the squads, the event gave families the opportunity to meet officers.
"We are really happy they are spreading the word this way," Krasovich said. "The more awareness that we can build in the community, the more people are going to feel comfortable and be able to accept and embrace the individuals in the community that might behave a bit differently, that might be dealing with different situations."
Four families attended the event the afternoon of April 1. After a brief introduction from Heier, the officers and kids placed the magnets on the vehicles. They talked and took tours of the squad cars.
"I just think it’s a positive," Krasovich said. "As a mom, it touches my heart to know the community and the officers are invested in supporting even our most vulnerable citizens."
Krasovich noted the value of the event goes beyond just putting magnets on the cars.
"When they see some of the behaviors and traits associated with autism, I think that’s super beneficial," Krasovich said. "Maybe when you see them on a child, they don’t really register, but as they grow into teen and adult years, those things might present in a way that makes people uncomfortable or makes them unsure of what they’re looking at. Letting them get to know them, it’s more than magnets, isn’t it?"
The magnets will stay on the cars for the entire month; the department plans to have them on its cars every April moving forward.
Garry added that it is possible the department could consider other causes and awareness campaigns for the vehicles in the future.
"Our agency is definitely open to other outreach programs," he said. "We’re weighing them for the betterment of the community."
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RELATED:Haase House highlights need for independence, challenges of affordable housing for the disabled in Wisconsin's small towns | 2022-04-04T18:22:21Z | www.jsonline.com | Pewaukee Police affix squads with magnets for Autism Awareness Month | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/04/pewaukee-police-affix-squads-magnets-autism-awareness-month/7263465001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/04/pewaukee-police-affix-squads-magnets-autism-awareness-month/7263465001/ |
Common Council confirms Bree Spencer to Fire and Police Commission
The Milwaukee Common Council confirmed Bree Spencer to the Fire and Police Commission, becoming the first appointee to join the oversight board following the departure of longtime Mayor Tom Barrett.
Spencer, who is considered to be an authority on law enforcement and its interactions with civilians, was confirmed in a special Common Council meeting Monday morning. Her vote had been delayed two weeks because Alds. Ashanti Hamilton and Chantia Lewis said scheduling conflicts prevented them from meeting with her beforehand.
Monday's vote was unanimous, although Alds. Russell Stamper II, Nikiya Dodd and Lewis were absent.
The civilian oversight board is among the oldest and most powerful of its kind in the country. Its commissioners are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the Common Council.
Spencer’s confirmation comes one day before voters head to the polls to elect either Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who nominated Spencer in February, or former Common Council member Bob Donovan. Barrett, after more than 17 years in the mayor's office, resigned last December to become the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
Spencer has spent the last year as the policing program manager for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a national coalition of civil rights groups. Before that, she spent nine years at Safe & Sound, a local nonprofit that focuses on facilitating relationships between community members and law enforcement.
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At a committee meeting earlier in March, Spencer said one of her biggest goals as a commissioner is to build trust with community members.
“Community is king,” she said. “It’s a civilian oversight board for a reason. We need to be accessible to community members.”
Spencer replaces former Vice Chair Everett Cocroft, who resigned last November to move to Las Vegas, and returns the commission to its usual stature of seven commissioners.
Cocroft’s exit left Fred Crouther as the only remaining commissioner who participated in the vote to oust former Police Chief Alfonso Morales. That move, which lacked due process, cost taxpayers $627,000 in settlement payments and just under $60,000 to an outside attorney hired to represent the city in the matter.
On March 10, it took the council’s Public Safety and Health Committee less than 20 minutes to unanimously recommend to the full council that Spencer be confirmed.
“Another excellent candidate is coming before us,” Ald. Mark Borkowski said. “It was a matter of 18 months, maybe two years ago where the Fire and Police Commission was a little shaky. The ship has been righted and it continues. I’m more and more impressed with these candidates.” | 2022-04-04T18:22:33Z | www.jsonline.com | Bree Spencer joins Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/04/bree-spencer-joins-milwaukee-fire-and-police-commission/7245693001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/04/bree-spencer-joins-milwaukee-fire-and-police-commission/7245693001/ |
Milwaukee voters on Tuesday will elect their first new mayor in 18 years.
Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson and former Ald. Bob Donovan will face off for the remaining two years of the term of former Mayor Tom Barrett, who resigned in December to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
The pair beat out five other candidates in the Feb. 15 primary. Johnson received 42% of the vote to Donovan's 22%, with Johnson winning all but three of the city's 15 aldermanic districts and Donovan seeing less support than the last time he ran for mayor six years ago.
Voters across Milwaukee County will also be deciding County Board seats, including contested races in six districts.
And in suburban Milwaukee, voters have contested races for mayor in Brookfield, Cudahy, Delafield, Oconomowoc and Waukesha along with a village president race in Mukwonago. Several school districts have hotly contested board elections, including in Cedarburg, Menomonee Falls, Mequon-Thiensville, Pewaukee and Waukesha.
West Allis-West Milwaukee School District voters are deciding a $150 million referendum question that would see two high schools closed and consolidated into a new high school. Nicolet Union High School District voters are deciding on $77.4 million in facilities upgrades.
In the Milwaukee mayoral race, Johnson has been seen as the frontrunner in Tuesday's election, based on that citywide support he received in the primary and the strength of his fundraising compared with Donovan's. (Donovan has also criticized Johnson over the financial support he has received, including from a secretive group, Fair Future Action, that has spent at least $150,000 on TV ads backing Johnson's campaign.)
Still, only about 22% of registered voters cast ballots in the primary.
Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said last week that she hoped a last-minute increase in early voters and absentee ballot drop-offs would signal higher voter turnout in this election than in February.
More than 27,500 absentee ballots cast
Figures from the city Election Commission Monday morning showed Milwaukee voters had returned 27,528 absentee ballots out of 35,340 issued.
Woodall-Vogg expected a couple of thousand more would still come in.
Of those, 8,600 were cast at the city's nine in-person absentee voting locations between March 22 and Saturday.
The city also offered staffed, drive-up drop boxes for Milwaukee voters on the last two Saturdays before Tuesday's election. The move came in response to the state Supreme Court's February ruling against the 24-hour, unstaffed drop boxes that residents had become accustomed to since the 2020 pandemic elections.
With the drop boxes unavailable on Tuesday, voters who still have their absentee ballots on election day can:
Vote in person at the polls and not vote their absentee ballots.
Drop absentee ballots off at the city's central count location, 1901 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. or
Absentee ballots cannot be dropped off at polling places in Milwaukee.
Because no drop box deliveries will be coming in, Woodall-Vogg said she expected the counting of absentee ballots to be done by 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Donovan has said if he were elected he would get rid of the city's drop boxes, a position with which Johnson disagrees.
Candidates offer juxtaposition
The candidates have offered voters a juxtaposition of a 35-year-old Democratic north side alderman who has moved up quickly at City Hall since his first election win in 2016 and a 65-year-old conservative former council member who spent 20 years representing a south side district before retiring in 2020.
Both men have their roots in the city, but the life experiences they'd bring to the job are anything but similar.
Johnson, one of 10 kids in a family of step- and half-siblings, has highlighted the challenges he faced as a child growing up in poverty in Milwaukee and the opportunities that helped him reach the highest echelons of power here.
He was just four years into his tenure representing District 2 on the Common Council when he was elected council president in 2020 on a split vote that laid bare the divisions between his colleagues. Less than two years later, his role as council president automatically positioned him to become acting mayor when Barrett resigned.
If he wins Tuesday, Johnson will make history as the first Black elected mayor in Milwaukee. But he'd be breaking that barrier without the public backing of any of the other African Americans on the Common Council.
Donovan decided to come out of retirement because he didn't want to live with the regret of not running for the city's highest political position at the rare moment when there was no incumbent in office. He unsuccessfully ran against Barrett in 2016, becoming yet another challenger who was unable to unseat the former mayor.
Between 2000 and 2020, Donovan built a reputation as a conservative voice in a Democratic city as he served as alderman of the same area in which he grew up. The former chairman of the Public Safety and Health Committee has made public safety and his support of police a central tenet in his career and campaign.
It's an issue over which the pair have sought to undercut each other in the four-month campaign, as the city in 2022 has seen double the number of homicides compared with the same point in 2021 — itself the second year in a row of record-breaking homicides.
Both have put forward plans to address public safety — though Johnson said recently he has not had time to fully implement his plan and Donovan has fielded criticism from his opponent over his offering of a 2016 proposal without updates.
But the candidates have also made their differences known on other issues over the course of eight forums and debates between Feb. 20 and March 31.
They sparred on the proposed breakup of Milwaukee Public Schools, cops in schools, inquiries into the 2020 presidential election and more.
More:What you should know about Bob Donovan and Cavalier Johnson ahead of the Milwaukee mayor's race | 2022-04-04T18:22:39Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee voters head to the polls Tuesday to elect new mayor | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/04/milwaukee-voters-head-polls-tuesday-elect-new-mayor-suburban-races-election/7243049001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/04/milwaukee-voters-head-polls-tuesday-elect-new-mayor-suburban-races-election/7243049001/ |
Simran Bhatia is only 16 years old. A junior at Brookfield Academy, she enjoys playing tennis, and she loves studying math and chemistry.
She already knows what she wants to be when she grows up: a pediatric cardiac surgeon.
She's good at a lot of things, but maybe what she's best at, for now anyway, is chess.
Bhatia won the Wisconsin Girls State Chess Championship last year. She went on to represent the state at the National Girls Tournament of Champions in July.
Why does she love chess so much?
"I like how the pieces move: They're different; they're all unique, and every game is different, no matter what," Bhatia said.
From YouTube to national tournaments
Her journey with the game spans 11 years.
When Bhatia was just 5, her mother got her a multi-game set. One of the games in the set was chess.
"It was the game that stood out the most to me," Bhatia said.
She asked her mom how to play but even she didn't know. They watched a YouTube video and slowly learned the game together.
After she began to beat her mother, she started to play against her dad.
After about two years of losing to him, she started to beat her father — at age 7.
"I would always lose to him so bad, like every single time," she said. "It was so annoying; but then I started beating him."
At age 8, she decided to compete in area chess tournaments.
"I did not think that chess was going to be a big part of my life," Bhatia said.
Eight years later, it is.
In July, Bhatia placed 10th in the National Girls Tournament of Champions in New Jersey.
"When I found out, I got so excited that I was going to play in New Jersey because this was a really big national tournament for girls," Bhatia said.
That tournament was six rounds, over three days.
It was one of the best tournaments she's played in, Bhatia said.
"It was a bit stressful, but a better word for that is exciting," she said.
Competing in stressful tournaments is something she's used to at this age.
Her first tournament, at age 8, was at Sheboygan North High School. She won two games out of five and got a participation medal.
"I loved the game. I loved competing. I made a ton of new friends in my first tournament. It was just a nice way to meet new people," Bhatia said.
Now, she's a tough opponent to face.
Bhatia loves playing in tournaments. The game takes her all across the nation.
"Before the game starts, I always talk to the opponent and get to know them a little bit more if I have time," she said. "It's nice getting to know people."
The longest game she's played? 5½ hours. The shortest? Five minutes.
Growing up, she played chess at home with her parents and a few close friends.
Now, some of her friends are opponents she played against in tournaments.
She's also the co-captain of the Brookfield Academy chess club.
During the start of the COVID pandemic, the club mainly played its games online. That's changed recently, as the group has been able to meet in person again.
Her favorite chess player? That's easy: Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian chess grandmaster.
"His tactics, what he does in the game ... I never think about doing that 'cause he's so advanced. He knows what to move all the time, and his moves are so complex; he thinks really far ahead," Bhatia said.
Bhatia is a thinker, too. In a tournament game in Chicago, she was losing the match early on.
She made one move, thinking about seven moves ahead.
Two moves later, she won the match.
"I was shocked because I was like how did I do this, I was literally about to lose," Bhatia said.
"Every game is different, and I like how it plays out; like every game is interesting, and it makes me think a lot," she said. "It's just very exciting."
RELATED:MPS students launch campaign for fresher food, more options, better pay for cafeteria workers
RELATED:Homestead High School student wins Wisconsin Journalism Education Association Journalist of the Year award | 2022-04-04T20:24:15Z | www.jsonline.com | Brookfield Academy student won state girls chess championship | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/04/04/brookfield-academy-student-won-state-girls-chess-championship-national-girls-tournament-of-champions/8688245002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/04/04/brookfield-academy-student-won-state-girls-chess-championship-national-girls-tournament-of-champions/8688245002/ |
Activist investor Macellum Capital Management is again calling out Kohl's Corp. board of directors for its review of potential sellers and other financial alternatives, saying the process "appears to be flawed and opaque."
"In all of our years investing in the public market, we have never seen a corporate leadership team operate in a more defensive and insular manner when many shareholders seem very supportive of a sale and various suitors have expressed interest," Macellum said in a letter to the board Monday.
More on Kohl's: Kohl's Corp. rips activist investor ahead of shareholder meeting for reaping $27 million in stock trades
Baldwin: Sen. Baldwin urges Kohl's board to consider the impact of a sale on employees, communities
Kohl's fired right back saying it won't let Macellum pressure it into a sale.
In a statement, Kohl's said its board "will not allow Macellum’s ill-informed commentary and push for a quick sale at any price to drive process decisions."
Macellum owns nearly 5% of Kohl's and is trying to take over the board with its own slate of nominees.
In January, a group led by Acacia Research Corp. made an unsolicited offer of $9 billion to be the Menomonee Falls-based department store chain. Kohl's rejected the offer saying the price was too low.
The letter also claimed Kohl's stock would not be trading as high as it has recently had rumors of a sale were not made public.
"The board should consider that absent the prospect of a sale, the company’s share price would likely be even lower due to investors’ dissatisfaction with management’s three-year plan," the letter reads. "We believe Kohl’s has traded up nearly 30% over the past two months for one reason: investors are enthusiastic about the possibility of finally achieving a reasonable return via a sale."
Kohl's countered that its board is carefully studying sale proposals, that its board members are more qualified to make such a decision than Macellum's proposed slate of directors, and added that a sale may not be in the best interest of the company or its shareholders.
"The board is thoughtfully and thoroughly evaluating proposals to realize full and fair shareholder value and weighing those against the value-creation potential of a compelling strategic plan," the company stated. "Kohl’s Board is far more qualified to direct this process than Macellum and its slate of nominees, over half of whom have never served on a public company board and none of whom have served on a board of a retail company approaching the size of Kohl’s."
Kohl's has reported receiving multiple nonbinding proposals without committed financing, and the company is continuing with its due diligence "so that they have the opportunity to refine and improve their proposals and include committed financing and binding documentation."
Canadian retailer Hudson Bay has been reported to be a possible buyer.
Also in the letter, Macellum submitted a list of questions to the board regarding the process for a possible sale.
Kohl's scheduled the shareholder meeting for May 11, setting up a showdown with the activist investors and shareholders to decide which vision of the company's future to go with. | 2022-04-04T20:24:21Z | www.jsonline.com | Macellum calls Kohl's sales process 'flawed and opaque' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/04/04/macellum-calls-kohls-sales-process-flawed-and-opaque/7269564001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/04/04/macellum-calls-kohls-sales-process-flawed-and-opaque/7269564001/ |
MADISON – Busy mining the transfer portal for scholarship players, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard and his staff officially added an intriguing preferred walk-on Monday:
Luke Haertle.
The 6-foot-4 senior guard, who accepted UW’s walk-on offer in November, recently led Lake Country Lutheran High School to the WIAA Division 3 state title.
His all-around game was on display in both the semifinals and title game.
He contributed 35 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 70-43 victory over St. Thomas More in the semifinals and followed that with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 67-56 victory over West Salem for the title.
Haertle averaged 22.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season for the Lightning (28-2).
A standout quarterback as well, Haertle finished with 2,264 points and more than 1,000 rebounds all-time for the Lightning.
“Luke grew up around Wisconsin athletics with the dream of being a Badger,” Gard said, “and he has worked extremely hard on the court and in the classroom to put himself in this position.
“Luke's work ethic and skillset are a great fit for our program. He understands the commitment and drive that it takes to win. … Luke has a versatile skill set, high IQ and understanding of the game.” | 2022-04-04T20:24:27Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin men's basketball officially adds Luke Haertle as walk-on | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/04/wisconsin-mens-basketball-officially-adds-luke-haertle-walk-on-badgers-lake-country-lutheran/7272827001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/04/wisconsin-mens-basketball-officially-adds-luke-haertle-walk-on-badgers-lake-country-lutheran/7272827001/ |
With those moves, the Brewers' bullpen now looks like this: Josh Hader (closer), Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger, Aaron Ashby, Brent Suter, Jake Cousins, Trevor Gott, Jandel Gustave, José Ureña and Hoby Milner.
Of Monday's moves, Perdomo's advisement would qualify as at least a minimal surprise after leading Milwaukee with a 2-0 record in five appearances (two starts).
Mejía, acquired from the Cleveland Indians in an offseason trade, wasn't particularly impressive with a 4.76 ERA, WHIP of 1.41 and five strikeouts in 5⅔ innings over six appearances.
Sánchez, on the other hand, was unscored upon and didn't allow a hit in his five outings, striking out six in six innings.
More:'Second-round pick and I’m still grinding': From the hot corner to the mound, Brewers prospect Lucas Erceg still has a rocket arm
Reyes, meanwhile, hit .294 with two runs batted in over eight games before leaving camp to tend to a family matter. He hadn't played since March 28.
In its current construction, Milwaukee's relief corps will feature six right-handers (Williams, Boxberger, Cousins, Gott, Ureña and Gustave) and four left-handers (Hader, Ashby, Suter and Milner).
Ureña, like Ashby, could serve as a swing man between the rotation and bullpen if needed, but he'll likely need more time to work up to multiple-inning appearances. He just signed with the Brewers last week and pitched only once in the Cactus League.
Milwaukee has an 8:40 p.m. game against the Colorado Rockies in Scottsdale and then closes out the spring with a 2:10 p.m. game Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals at American Family Fields of Phoenix. | 2022-04-04T22:17:21Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers send down relievers J.C. Mejía, Miguel Sánchez, Luis Perdomo | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/04/brewers-send-down-relievers-j-c-mejia-miguel-sanchez-luis-perdomo/7268007001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/04/brewers-send-down-relievers-j-c-mejia-miguel-sanchez-luis-perdomo/7268007001/ |
The Boys of Summer are back.
Even if there still is some snow in your yard.
Only in Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Brewers enter the season with high hopes.
But are they a hit or a miss with the oddsmakers?
Let's go around the horn to find out.
They list the Brew Crew at +1500.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to win the World Series at +600. The Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays are next at +900, with the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and New York Mets each at +1000.
The Brewers are at 16-1 to win World Series. Their wins are listed at 89.5. OK, how do you win half a game?
Milwaukee is -150 to win the NL Central and +750 to win the National League.
The Dodgers are the favorites at 5-1 to win the Fall Classic, followed by the Astros and Blue Jays at 10-1.
The odds of Christian Yelich winning the NL MVP are 30-1.
Corbin Burnes is at 6-1 to win the NL Cy Young Award. He is behind Max Scherzer (5-1). Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff is listed at 11-1.
Milwaukee is tied with the New York Yankees at +1100. Those two are behind the Dodgers (+450), Toronto (+800) and Houston (+900).
Fox Bet Sportsbook
The Brewers weigh in at +1500.
The Dodgers (+500) and the Astros (+700) are favored.
Milwaukee is listed at +1600.
They like the Dodgers (+450) and the Blue Jays (+900) to play for the crown.
The inside pitch here has Milwaukee at +1200.
They favor the Dodgers (+480) and the Blue Jays (+850).
The Crew is at +1600.
Los Angeles (+500) and Toronto (+900) are the top dogs.
Milwaukee is at +1600. This is sort of like being stuck on base.
They expect the World Series to feature the Dodgers (+500) and the Blue Jays (+800).
The Brewers are +1200.
Once again, the Dodgers (+475) and Blue Jays (+875) are favored.
As a side note, none of these oddmakers went out on a limb and projected the number of victories for each contestant in the Sausage Race. | 2022-04-04T22:17:27Z | www.jsonline.com | What are Milwaukee Brewers' odds to win World Series in 2022? | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/04/what-milwaukee-brewers-odds-win-world-series-2022/7272436001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/04/what-milwaukee-brewers-odds-win-world-series-2022/7272436001/ |
Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champion from Cambridge, is among the nominees for the 2023 class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced Monday.
The voting panel of 62 members from throughout the industry will meet May 4 to discuss the candidates. A 63rd vote comes via fan voting on NASCAR.com, which runs through April 29.
Kenseth and two-time Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be on the modern era ballot for the first time, joining eight holdovers: drivers Neil Bonnett, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Harry Gant, Larry Phillips and Ricky Rudd; and crew chiefs Harry Hyde and Kirk Shelmerdine.
With 39 victories, Kenseth is the most successful at that Cup Series level among the drivers nominated.
Kenseth, 50, started racing on several Wisconsin short tracks as a teen and won the track championship at Madison International Speedway in 1994 and at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna in '94 and '95. He continues to race periodically and plans to chase a record-extending ninth title in the Slinger Nationals this summer.
More:NASCAR champion Matt Kenseth has one goal for his broadcast debut: Don't come off 'like a total dork'
More:'NASCAR’s a long way away from Wisconsin': Yet from the beginning, big dreamers and career racers have made the trip
More:Here's the all-time list of drivers from Wisconsin who've competed in NASCAR's national series
Indianapolis 500 and Indy-car great A.J. Foyt, who won seven Cup races, has been added to the pioneer ballot for those whose whose careers began more than 60 years ago. Sam Ard, a nominee for the Class of 2020, is back on the ballot. The format changed since his previous inclusion.
Two modern era candidates and one pioneer candidate will be elected.
Lesa France Kennedy joins the ballot for the Landmark Award, given for outstanding contributions to the sport and voted upon by Hall members.
The complete list of 2023 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee is:
A.J. Foyt, won seven NASCAR Cup Series races including the 1972 Daytona 500
Landmark Award ballot | 2022-04-04T22:17:33Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin driver Matt Kenseth among NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/04/04/wisconsin-driver-matt-kenseth-among-nascar-hall-fame-nominees/9461989002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2022/04/04/wisconsin-driver-matt-kenseth-among-nascar-hall-fame-nominees/9461989002/ |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's plans to demolish the century-old Columbia Hospital building in order to reduce costs are being delayed — and could be blocked permanently.
The city Historic Preservation Commission on Monday recommended permanent historic designation for the former hospital building, 3321 N. Maryland Ave.
If approved by the Common Council, UWM would need to return to the commission for approval to do any exterior work on the building — including demolition.
Plans to raze the vacant building, with the original portion constructed in 1919, were first reported by the Journal Sentinel in January 2020.
University officials have said the building is in poor condition and would cost $100 million to $200 million to redevelop — depending on whether it was used as classrooms and offices, or research labs.
UWM has an agreement with nearby residents to not use the building for student housing.
University officials say the demolition would cost $6 million.
The building has remained largely vacant for several years.
"It's unusable," said Melissa Spadanuda, UWM associate vice chancellor for facilities, planning and management.
Preservationists say the building is a valuable piece of cultural and architectural history.
Despite the commission's unanimous ruling, the proposal could get a much different reception from the Common Council.
That clause could be used to overturn the commission's ruling.
And, even if the council follows the recommendation, UWM could then seek commission approval to demolish the building.
That ruling could then be appealed to the council, which can consider "economic hardship" as a factor. | 2022-04-05T00:02:05Z | www.jsonline.com | UWM plans to raze Columbia building delayed, and could be barred | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/04/uwm-plans-raze-columbia-building-delayed-and-could-barred/9459804002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/04/uwm-plans-raze-columbia-building-delayed-and-could-barred/9459804002/ |
An immersive 'Alice in Wonderland' cocktail experience is coming to Milwaukee for the first time
Add "fall down the rabbit hole" to your list of things to do this summer. An immersive "Alice in Wonderland" experience featuring themed cocktails is planning to come to Milwaukee for the first time.
"The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience," put on by Viral Ventures, is a 90-minute combination of live theater, cocktails, an escape room, riddles, challenges and photo ops, according to Mikaela Fleming, the experience's project manager.
"It's a chance to dress up, it's a chance to fall back into nostalgia and be a child again," she said. "but still getting to be an adult at the same time with some drinks."
Like Alice, attendees fall down the rabbit hole, then enter a tea party space, she said.
During the experience, people meet characters, see a "loosely structured" show, solve riddles and challenges, and get three themed cocktails along the way.
When guests arrive, they're given a welcome drink. For their next beverage — a smoking teapot they'll create — they need to solve multiple challenges.
Attendees will "paint the roses" on their third cocktail, similar to creating latte art, Fleming said. Whoever makes the best image will win a prize.
Some attendees dress up in full intense cosplay, while others come in work clothes, Fleming said. People are encouraged to dress to their comfort level.
"You can be a big lover of 'Alice in Wonderland,' or you might just be interested in a unique way to go out and hang out with friends," she said. "It kind of fits for everybody."
Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Special family-friendly sessions are also offered with a PG-level show and mocktails.
The Milwaukee experience plans to run from June 8 through Aug. 7. Sometimes the pop-ups end up getting extended, Fleming said.
There are multiple shows per day, and 25 tickets (which cost $45 each) per show. The family-friendly sessions are noted in parentheses on the booking site.
The location of The Alice has not yet been announced as contracts are being finalized, Fleming said.
The Alice, which launched in Australia in 2020, has now popped up in about 14 cities across the United States, according to Fleming. This will be its first time in Milwaukee.
"Our biggest goal is to just go to cities where we feel like they're a city that is ready for something unique and something different," she said.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/thealicemke. | 2022-04-05T11:50:35Z | www.jsonline.com | 'The Alice' Immersive Cocktail Experience coming to Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/05/the-alice-in-wonderland-immersive-cocktail-experience-coming-milwaukee/7236871001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/05/the-alice-in-wonderland-immersive-cocktail-experience-coming-milwaukee/7236871001/ |
Oh, Wisconsin-isms. There are many.
We've tackled soda v. pop and bag v. bayyyg and where "bubbler" came from.
Now, we're back at it again.
This time, we've looked into stories and explanations behind TYME machine vs. ATM, why milk is sometimes pronounced melk, and the possible origin of "ope!"
It's part of What the Wisconsin? — a feature in which we answer questions from readers about our city and state. Those submissions are frequently about our unique pronunciations and phrases, so look for sloppy joes vs. hot tamales and other conflicts in a future installment. If you have an idea for what we should investigate, visit bit.ly/whatthewisconsin.
MORE:17 words only a true Wisconsinite knows how to pronounce
TYME machine v. ATM
When someone asks, "Where's the TYME machine?", they're not trying to time travel … probably. Odds are, they're just looking for a place to withdraw cash.
TYME, which stood for "Take Your Money Everywhere," used to be synonymous with the word ATM in Wisconsin.
TYME Corp., which was created by four banks in 1975, was based in Brown Deer. In the early 2000s, its TYME machines were doing millions of transactions per month.
Wisconsin wasn't the only state with a regional name for the machines.
While Tom Purnell — a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of English language and linguistics — was living in Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s, he said the cash dispensing machines in that area were called MAC (money access centers).
"ATM (automated teller machine) is the generic term that is being used more widely now, overtaking the local variants," he said in an email.
In a 2001 Journal Sentinel story, Darryl Lund — president and chief executive officer of the Community Bankers of Wisconsin at that time — said that during his travels around the nation with the trade group, finding such strong brand recognition for a cash machine was rare.
"When we think of ATMs in Wisconsin, we think of TYME," Lund said.
Milk v. melk
"A lot of changes and variations in pronunciation reflect things that not just happen in our mouths, but also what happens in our ears," said Joe Salmons, a longtime professor of language sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In many languages, when there's an "l" at the end of a syllable, it will mess with how people hear a preceding vowel, he explained, especially when the "l" is in the same syllable.
A similar example of this is pillow v. "pellow," he noted.
The "melk" pronunciation is also heard in other parts of the Midwest, he said. And while it's not exclusive to the state, it appears to be most common in eastern Wisconsin.
Why did the raw meat cannibal sandwich become so popular in Wisconsin? And why has it stayed that way? Why does Wisconsin drink so much brandy? Our love affair with the spirit — and fruity Old-Fashioneds — isn't as old as you might think. Why Wisconsin's dialect, pronunciations are unique — and even vary within the state's borders Where did the term 'bubbler' come from, and are we the only ones who say it?
The (possible) origin of 'ope!'
"I could not prove this in a court of law," Salmons said, "but there's a story among linguists about 'ope!' that makes a whole bunch of sense."
Sometimes people have the sense that a particular word doesn't have enough substance to it, he said, especially if it's going to be used for emphasis or exclamation.
So, they try to bulk it up in "all sorts of different ways."
In the English language, he said, there's an existing pattern that's been around for a long time of "yup" for "yes" and "nope" for "no."
" 'Nope' is a little more emphatic than just saying 'no,' " he said. "And 'yup' has got a certain flavor to it as well."
Using "welp" instead of "well" is another example of this concept at work.
Instead of just saying "oh," people added that "p" to build up the word, he said.
Why words like this start and gain traction in a particular place is hard to track down, though — including "ope!"
"What's interesting with any kind of linguistic form — it can be out there, any pronunciation or word or sentence structure — they take on particular social meanings," he said. "Sometimes it's an indication or a cultural identity or some social status. And sometimes it's a regional thing."
What about "er no?"
Want to go to a Bucks game with us, er no?
"Er no?" is called a tag question, according to Salmons. Other examples would be "isn't it?" or "don't you think?"
When Salmons moved to Wisconsin from North Carolina in the '90s, he said he was struck by just how much tag questions are used here.
"People use them all the time," he said. "More I think than in other parts of the country."
Most of the immigrant languages that were widely spoken in Wisconsin have lots of tag questions, he said.
"One of the things that happens with a lot of multilingualism and bilingualism is that you get this kind of indirect influence," he said. "You borrow certain words, but a lot of other times, we don't do it that directly. We take a structure and transfer it in some way."
Salmons said "er no" appears to be an English version of a common German tag question that translates to "or not."
"This would be a case where there was something people were used to doing and they just carried it over," he said.
Tag questions can also be a "low-level politeness thing," he said. They signal to the listener that you're concerned about whether they're following or understanding.
Rayyycine v. Ruh-seen
"There seems to have for nearly always been multiple pronunciations of this city’s name," Purnell said in an email.
"One form is a little bit closer to the French, where you would have a stress on the second syllable," Salmons said. "And one is sort of more integrated into English."
The French language stresses the final syllable of words, Purnell said, which would account for the "Ruh-SEEN" pronunciation of the city's name.
Southern American and African American English like initial stress in two-syllable words, he said. Some immigrant languages, like Polish, also prefer initial stress on words of more than one syllable.
Both patterns of the city's name have been around for a long time, Salmons said. But there's a long-standing trend among English speakers to move the stress of words to the first syllable over time, he said, which puts us "ahead of the curve."
"I'm really curious what's going to happen in 50 or 60 years," he said.
Hot dish or hotdish v. casserole
Are hot dish and casserole the same? It's complicated.
And if you've ever been to a church potluck, there's a high probability you've had one or both.
In 2018, Taste of Home described hot dish and casserole as twin sisters who "dress really differently." While casseroles specify what's inside — think green bean casserole or tuna noodle casserole — that's not necessary with hot dishes, the article said.
According to Eater, all hot dishes are casseroles, but not all casseroles are hot dishes. A hot dish is made up of "a creamy sauce" that binds three "essential" components together — starch, protein and vegetable, the report said.
And while casseroles are often side dishes, hot dishes are traditionally the main course.
"The Dictionary of American Regional English" found that "hot dish" or "hotdish" is found only in the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and parts of Michigan and North Dakota, Purnell said.
Why is it a "stop-and-go" light?
"We can imagine how this term came to be," Purnell said in an email. "When new technologies replace old ones, the name of the old technology still sticks."
Think of a stop sign at an intersection in the early part of the 20th century getting switched out with a flashing red light that serves the same purpose of pausing cars, Purnell said. Later, that intersection is upgraded to an indicator that uses green, red and amber lights.
In a community accustomed to calling the flashing red light a "stop and go" light, that name could transfer even when the style of light is replaced.
Much of the country calls it a "stop light," though Purnell points out it could as easily have been called a "go light." The term "stop and go light" is mostly used in the Upper Mississippi Valley, he said. | 2022-04-05T11:50:41Z | www.jsonline.com | TYME machine, ope, hotdish, melk and other Wisconsin words explained | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2022/04/05/tyme-machine-ope-hotdish-melk-and-other-wisconsin-words-explained/9404237002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2022/04/05/tyme-machine-ope-hotdish-melk-and-other-wisconsin-words-explained/9404237002/ |
MADISON - A congressional panel will visit Milwaukee neighborhoods next week as part of a regional tour of southeastern Wisconsin to seek input on housing and education issues.
Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat who represents the 4th Congressional District, and Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, who represents the 1st Congressional District, will host a pair of hearings in Milwaukee and Kenosha. The events are part of a trip by the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth.
Steil will first host a hearing on April 11 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha to discuss ways to improve the workforce in southeastern Wisconsin through education.
There, the committee "will examine several approaches to prepare workers for the rapidly changing economy, such as soft skills learning, career and technical education, college degrees, and certificate programs," according to a release from the committee.
Moore plans to host a tour of Milwaukee neighborhoods on April 12 to show "present housing inequalities, legacies of historical racism, reverberations of deindustrialization and botched urban renewal efforts, and recent efforts to revitalize areas in decline," according to a tentative schedule of the trip.
More:Recent spike in eviction filings prompts city leaders to evaluate Milwaukee's eviction prevention programs
More:‘You can’t legislate morality’: Nearly 60 years after Milwaukee's first stab at fair housing legislation, the city struggles to enforce it
The committee also plans to tour Pathfinders, an organization that provided children and teens with food, clothing, shelter, and education services, and will hold a hearing that afternoon at the Milwaukee Public Library to hear testimony on housing issues facing Milwaukee.
More:A Milwaukee nonprofit economic development executive has been appointed as the new head of Wisconsin's housing development authority | 2022-04-05T11:50:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin congressional panel to visit Milwaukee, Kenosha next week | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/05/wisconsin-congressional-panel-visit-milwaukee-kenosha-next-week/7271842001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/05/wisconsin-congressional-panel-visit-milwaukee-kenosha-next-week/7271842001/ |
Early in 2022, Barbara Cerda was doing what she does every day — scouring used bookstores and websites to find books she can resell from La Revo, the online bookstore she and her sister Valeria started on the south side of Milwaukee in March of 2021.
She came across a book she had never seen before, but that seemed to fit the mission of La Revo — to curate books by authors from different perspectives and backgrounds that challenge readers to think about how those perspectives affect their own identity.
The book was "Maus" — a graphic novel, in which author Art Spiegelman tells the story of his father's experience during the Holocaust.
Cerda bought the book and added it to her store's list of used books. A few weeks later, she heard that the graphic novel had been removed from the eighth grade literature curriculum of a school district in Tennessee.
According to school board members, the book was removed due to inappropriate language and nudity (although it should be noted that the graphic novel depicts its characters as mice and cats, so the nudity in question is not human), as well as depictions of death and suicide.
But critics of the ban point out that the book depicts the reality of an ugly time in history in a way that's understandable and relatable to children, and that students need to learn those realities in a supportive environment.
The "Maus" book ban comes during a time in which there have been many high-profile book bans and challenges throughout the country, a trend noted by the American Library Association, which has "documented a 'dramatic uptick' in challenges to books in libraries' collections."
Kids want to learn the truth about racism in American history
Reggie Jackson has educated both adults and children in Milwaukee for years in his roles as a Milwaukee teacher, a griot at America's Black Holocaust Museum and a speaker through his organization Nurturing Diversity Partners.
In his experience, kids are rarely uncomfortable about confronting difficult topics.
"It's the adults who are uncomfortable," Jackson said. He remembers an exhibit related to lynching in the "old" Black Holocaust Museum — the museum was recently remodeled and reopened after being closed for several years — that featured graphic images of lynchings that have taken place in American history.
People often asked Jackson if they should bring children to the museum or if the exhibits would be too difficult for them to handle. He always reassured people that their groups of fourth- or fifth-graders would be able to handle the museum.
"When I gave the tours, the adults would walk through really quickly, would glance at the images and then walk on to the next part. It was too hard for them to look at," Jackson said. "But the kids always spent time looking and then asking lots of questions. They would ask me, 'These aren't real, right? People didn't really do this, right?'"
When Jackson told students lynchings really did happen to Black people in the United States, they would ask even more questions, looking for context for why and how those atrocities occurred, and asking what happened to the people who committed them.
"The same thing has happened as I've traveled around Wisconsin and talked to students about these things that happened in American history," said Jackson. "Their level of inquiry about these things is on a whole other level than in adults. They feel like they've been cheated by not learning about these things, and they're trying to make up for it by asking probing questions."
Jackson is concerned that limits placed on how issues like racism are taught in schools — and bans on books that confront difficult topics — exacerbate an existing ignorance of the reality of history, especially when the stories of marginalized groups and people are silenced or ignored.
The power of storytelling: Who gets to tell the stories we all learn?
During this year's Black History Month, Jackson conducted a workshop with fourth- and fifth- graders focused on the power of storytelling. He asked the children if they had heard of Ruby Bridges, who became famous in the fight for school desegregation at the age of 6 in 1960 when she was the first Black student to attend an all-white school in Louisiana.
"They all knew who she is, everybody talks about her during Black History Month," noted Jackson. But then Jackson started naming other children in other schools during the Jim Crow era, other children who had been the first to desegregate their own schools. Neither the children nor their teachers had heard of them.
"So I shared the stories of those other children, showed them pictures, talked about their experiences," said Jackson. "Then I asked the kids, 'What do you think about the fact that you don't learn about them? Is that fair?'"
Jackson was inspired to teach this workshop after reading "How The Word Is Passed" and interviewing the book's author, Clint Smith.
Smith wrote about his travel to several places in the United States to learn about the impact of slavery on America's past and present — including Thomas Jefferson's plantation Monticello, a Confederate cemetery and the site of slave auctions in Manhattan.
In his book, Smith relates his experience at a Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, Texas, where several children made presentations about slavery, the culmination of a summer program focused on teaching young people about their own relationship to history.
"People sometimes believe that if they talk to Black youth about the historical legacy of slavery — and the intergenerational iterations of systemic racism that followed — young people will feel overwhelmed and shut down," Smith wrote. "But there is enormous value in providing young people with the language, the history, and the framework to identify why their society looks the way it does… I dreamed of what it might mean if we could extend these lessons to every child. How different might our country look if all of us fully understood what has happened here?"
Smith's book resonates with Jackson because it tells the stories of "normal, everyday" people, a focus Jackson has used in lessons with children for years because he believes children feel passionate about history and empowered in their own lives when they learn about the power of regular people throughout history.
It's why two of his favorite books are James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" and Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." Both books de-emphasize the stories of traditional leaders and elites that are typically taught in school in favor of everyday people's stories.
"Reading Howard Zinn's book was eye-opening to me," said Jackson. "Too many historians want to talk about the famous people, but there are plenty of average, everyday Americans who have stories worth telling and knowing about."
The power of books to introduce new perspectives
Barbara Cerda — who is the daughter of Mexican immigrants — also understands the power of books to tell other perspectives of American history that haven't been given enough attention.
Cerda — who is never reading only one book at a time — is currently reading "Hood Feminism." The book, written by Mikki Kendall, lays out the argument that feminism typically deals with the concerns of middle-class white women and ignores issues that impoverished women, women of color and other marginalized women face.
Cerda is also taking her time reading a book that her customers tell her "puts a name to a lot of experiences Latina women have faced for years."The book, "For Brown Girls With Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts," was written by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez, who immigrated from Nicaragua as a young child. It is described as "a love letter to women of color" and addresses much of the marginalization Latinx people feel in the United States.
Children need to see people like themselves represented in literature
Cerda and her sister and business partner, Valeria Cerda, didn't feel they had the words to express a lot of those feelings growing up — largely because they didn't see them expressed in the books they read.
"I didn't know Latinx literature was a category until I was an adult, when I took a road trip to California with some friends," said Valeria.
On that trip, she discovered a wide variety of Latinx children's books in stores and bought several of them.
"Shopping for children's books when you're 18, that's a weird story to tell," said Valeria. "I read things like Curious George when I was a kid, which is fine, but it's different. I started wondering what my life would have been like if I had these other books when I was 6, not 18."
Barbara has taken that lesson to heart in sharing books with her own children. Two of her youngest daughter's favorites are picture books that center around Latin American history and culture.
"Child of the Flower-Song People" is a picture book written by Gloria Amescua, about Luz Jimenez, who was part of a Nahua family in Mexico. The book focuses on Jimenez' childhood and the tales, traditions and rituals of people in her village. Amescua tells the story of how Jimenez continued to embrace her culture even in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution when much of her people's culture was erased.
Barbara's daughter also enjoys "Separate is Never Equal," a picture book about Sylvia Mendez and her family, who fought for the desegregation of schools in California. Mendez was not allowed to attend the "white" school in her community because she and her family were of Mexican descent. The book is especially illuminating for people who know the stories of Ruby Bridges and have studied Brown v. Board of Education, but who were unaware that Latinx families faced the same discrimination.
"My youngest daughter definitely feels proud when we read those books every night. She sees people that look like her and can place herself in that culture," said Barbara. "My oldest daughter picks up a lot of the books we sell in the bookstore, and it's interesting seeing her journey as she does more of her own writing and sees these authors as role models."
Children need stories they can relate to
Jackson feels many students relate to the feelings of the Cerda sisters when they were young. He also feels that a lack of representation in literature damages children's education.
Jackson once spent several hours reading through an eighth-grade literature book. He described the textbook as a 500-600 page tome with short stories, poems and excerpts from novels and plays. Each selection included a page about the author.
"A lot of the readings were wonderful, but most of the authors wrote their works in the 1800s and early 1900s," said Jackson. "The problem is that kids are not relating to things that they're being expected to read. They're not getting joy out of reading when all these people wrote before any of these kids were even born."
Jennifer Kimmons relates to the experience Jackson describes. As a Black child growing up in Milwaukee, she struggled to find representation in the books she was introduced to.
"I feel like I had to find those books on my own because I wasn't really encouraged in my academic setting, which was predominantly white," said Kimmons.
Kimmons said she "stumbled across" several books at a Black-owned bookstore curated by the wife of her dad's barber.
There she found "Bud, not Buddy," a children's book by Christopher Paul Curtis about a 10-year-old who runs away from his foster home to find his father during the Depression. Bud is charming and funny with a realistic child-like voice who encounters racism as he travels throughout Jim Crow-era Michigan.
Kimmons also read the Bluford novels, a series of young adult books, each story told from the point of view of a high school student in an urban public school.
As Kimmons got older, she started reading books by Octavia E. Butler, a best-selling Black science fiction writer. In an interview about her book, "Parable of the Sower," Butler described why she was drawn to writing science fiction.
"I never told myself ordinary stories. I was never interested in fantasizing about the world I was stuck in. In fact, I fantasized to get away from that drab, limited world," said Butler. "I was a little 'colored' girl in that era of conformity and segregation, the 1950s, and no matter how much I dreamed about becoming a writer, I couldn't help seeing that my real future looked bleak."
When Kimmons discovered that Black-owned bookstore that featured authors, characters and stories she related to, she said she felt the joy of being seen.
"Representation is so important everywhere, especially in books," said Kimmons. "I remember feeling like our dad's barber was like family and being excited that there was a bookstore just for us."
It's the same feeling the Cerda sisters strive to evoke for Latinx people with their own bookstore. At the same time, Barbara Cerda also pointed out that their store is not meant to be exclusive. Rather, she and her sister want to spread awareness of the books they sell to all groups. They want to diversify the stories people hear and experience.
She remembers a pop-up event she attended in summer of 2021 when a man approached her to ask her about her store.
"I explained that our store specializes in books that are written by and for people of color," said Cerda. The man, who was white, told her, "Oh, then I'm not your audience."
Cerda said that experience crystallized for her the importance of reading stories from a variety of cultures.
"You don't have to be a person of color to read and enjoy our stories," said Cerda. "It's eye-opening to be able to share experiences across cultures, and to relate to other people you don't even know through stories is really beautiful." | 2022-04-05T14:53:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Children of color need to see themselves in books, even 'banned" ones | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/2022/04/05/la-revo-cerda-banned-books-diversity/7038356001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/2022/04/05/la-revo-cerda-banned-books-diversity/7038356001/ |
UW-Whitewater interim chancellor resigns, extending leadership churn on campus
The interim chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater abruptly and unexpectedly announced his resignation Monday, extending a now years-long trend of unstable leadership at the university.
In announcing his departure, Jim Henderson, who took the helm of the university nine months ago, pointed vaguely to concerns about the search for the university's next permanent president, which has yet to begin.
"One of my three goals for my time as interim chancellor has been to help this campus hire the best chancellor possible who will be here for the long term," he wrote. "Over the past few days it has become clear to me that I cannot make progress on that goal. Given that, I feel that it is in both the best interest of UW-Whitewater and me personally that I resign my position as interim chancellor, and I have submitted my resignation effective at the end of the day today."
Henderson has a strong reputation within the UW System, having served as its vice president for academic and student affairs from 2016 until 2018, when he retired after a 40-year career working in higher education across seven states. But retirement didn't last long, as he returned as interim provost at UW-Madison during summer 2019 and ultimately took on the interim role at UW-Whitewater in July 2021.
UW System interim President Michael Falbo — who himself is in a short-term interim role before the arrival of the next system president — issued a statement late in the day Monday that UW-Whitewater Provost John Chenoweth will assume interim leadership of the university.
Falbo's hope for continuity at the university, however, comes after years of instability in the chancellor's office.
In May 2019, the system hired Dwight Watson, in hopes of moving on from the controversy surrounding the resignation of former Chancellor Beverly Kopper, who stepped down after sexual harassment complaints against her husband, Pete Hill, became public.
In Sept. 2020, as the university worked to bring students back for their first full pandemic school year, Watson was put on leave due to harassment claims that were ultimately found to be without merit. The university's then-Provost Greg Cook led the university for about a month.
But eight months later, Watson stepped down after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
UW Board of Regents President Edmund Manydeeds III is slated to provide an update on the campus' presidential search at a meeting Thursday.
In a joint statement to campus Monday, Chenoweth and the university's vice chancellors acknowledged there are many unanswered questions and acknowledged that with all the leadership transitions in recent years, "it’s understandable to feel a sense of disappointment at this time."
"The vice chancellors are united in our passionate dedication to this university — to serving all of you, our students, faculty and staff members — and we are united in our fierce commitment in moving the Whitewater and Rock County campuses forward," the statement read.
Contact Devi Shastri at 414-224-2193 or DAShastri@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DeviShastri | 2022-04-05T17:43:13Z | www.jsonline.com | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater interim chancellor suddenly resigns | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/05/university-wisconsin-whitewater-interim-chancellor-suddenly-resigns/9465160002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/05/university-wisconsin-whitewater-interim-chancellor-suddenly-resigns/9465160002/ |
UWM PANTHERS
Kansas men's basketball star Ochai Agbaji earned the recognition of Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four on Monday night after his Jayhawks staged a thrilling 72-69 win over North Carolina to win the national championship.
Agbaji, a first-team All American and Kansas' leading scorer this season, scored 12 points in the championship game, two days after he posted 21 points and led KU past Villanova, 81-65.
Agbaji has local roots, born in Milwaukee as the son to two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee basketball players, Erica and Olofu Agbaji.
Mother Erica (Young), a native of Plymouth, was a four-year standout in the Panthers program, earning team MVP in 1993-94 when she averaged 13.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in the program's first season as part of the Mid-Continent Conference.
She led the team in rebounding as a junior (8.2 per game) and senior, and her 751 career boards ranked 10th in program history heading into the 2021-22 season. She posted 20 career double-doubles and finds her name all over the Panthers record book in rebound and block categories.
At Plymouth, Young nearly led her squad to an upset of Madison East in the Class A state basketball tournament during her senior year in 1990, only to fall just short, 51-50. She wound up making the all-tournament team.
"Erica Young blocked just about every shot we took it seemed for a while," Madison East coach Steve Bentin said at the time. "Pretty soon, we were looking at her and shooting at the basket."
Olofu Agbaji, a 6-7 forward originally from Nigeria, played at UWM in 1991 and 1992, starting 22 games in the latter season. He transferred into the program from Vincennes junior college in Indiana.
The couple's daughter, Orie, played college volleyball as a middle blocker at Texas. Both Orie and Ochai attended Oak Park High School in Kansas.
Ochai played right away as a freshman at KU and has morphed into the player of the year in the best men's basketball conference in the country, the Big 12, this season. He was a first-team all-conference choice in 2021, as well, and the 6-5 guard now profiles as a lottery pick in the forthcoming NBA draft. | 2022-04-05T17:43:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Ochai Agbaji, son of UW-Milwaukee basketball players, leads KU to win | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uwm/2022/04/05/ochai-agbaji-son-uw-milwaukee-basketball-players-leads-university-of-kansas-win/9469074002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uwm/2022/04/05/ochai-agbaji-son-uw-milwaukee-basketball-players-leads-university-of-kansas-win/9469074002/ |
These baby names are predicted to be the most popular in Wisconsin for 2022
If you had a baby this year, did you name him or her Oliver or Charlotte?
If so, you're in good company. Those are predicted to be the most popular baby names in Wisconsin for 2022, according to research conducted by Names.org.
The website recently released its top 10 predictions for the most popular names given to baby boys and girls in the state this year.
"We've combined data on the actual births in recent years with user interest on our site to predict the most popular baby names of 2022," the website said.
Its formula looks at the most recent data from the Social Security Administration and several previous years to detect trends, according to the website. It also compares user interest from the millions of visitors the site gets each month.
This year, Names.org predicts that the top three picks for boys names in the state will be Oliver, Liam and Theodore. The top three most popular choices for girls are expected to be Charlotte, Olivia and Evelyn.
Liam and Olivia are forecast to be the most popular baby names nationally in 2022, according to the website.
Here are the entire top 10 predictions lists for the state's most popular names for baby boys and girls in 2022:
Of the names that made these two lists, seven of them — Theodore, Owen, Jack, Levi, Harper, Eleanor and Nora — are not predicted to be in the national top 10 names and so are considered uniquely popular for Wisconsin.
The data also delves into names that are most unique to our state and breaks it down into categories, including most popular and unique; less common and unique; modern and unique; and older and unique.
To check out these lists and more, visit names.org/lists/by-state/wi. | 2022-04-05T20:15:18Z | www.jsonline.com | Top baby names for 2022: Oliver, Charlotte predicted in Wisconsin | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/05/top-most-popular-baby-names-2022-oliver-charlotte-predicted-wisconsin/9470322002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/05/top-most-popular-baby-names-2022-oliver-charlotte-predicted-wisconsin/9470322002/ |
How many Milwaukee Brewers opening day starting pitchers can you name?
For the first time in Milwaukee Brewers history, a previous Cy Young Award winner will take the ball for an opening day start, with Corbin Burnes taking on the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
Milwaukee's previous two Cy Young winners include Rollie Fingers, the 1981 American League winner who wasn't a starter, and 1982 winner Pete Vuckovich, who was hampered by a rotator cuff injury and pitched sparingly in the years thereafter.
How many opening day starting pitchers can you name over the course of Brewers history? Burnes will mark the 33rd.
More:Opening day: The 12 most memorable season openers in Milwaukee Brewers history
Lew Krausse (1970)
Nobody at County Stadium truly cared that Krausse gave up four earned runs in three innings and the Brewers got bombed by the California Angels, 12-0. Baseball was back in Milwaukee after a four-year absence, after all. Krausse won 13 games in his first of two seasons with the Brewers.
Marty Pattin (1971)
Technically, Pattin is the organization's first opening day starter, working for the Seattle Pilots to open the 1969 season before the expansion franchise relocated. He won both his opening day starts as a Pilot and a Brewer, with a 7-2 complete-game victory over the Minnesota Twins in the latter. He finished the year with a respectable 3.13 ERA, made the all-star team that year and was dealt in the offseason as part of the blockbuster trade that brought George Scott to the Brewers.
Bill Parsons (1972)
Parsons won the Sporting News rookie of the year honor in 1971 and was runner-up for the Associated Press award; he started his sophomore campaign with six innings in a 5-1 win over Cleveland. His numbers were comparable in 1972, but the 6-foot-6 right-hander seemed to fall off the map after that, out of baseball after the 1974 season.
Jim Colborn (1973-74)
Depending on how you view the Pilots season, he's the Brewers' first two-time opening day starter, taking the loss in a 10-0 blowout against the Orioles in 1973 and a no decision in a 9-8 loss to the Red Sox in 1974. He won 20 games in 1973 and made the all-star team, finishing the year with a 3.18 ERA.
Jim Slaton (1975-76, 1980)
The franchise's all-time leader in wins started three opening days, including once after getting traded away and returning. He was on the mound for losses in 1975 (5-2 to Boston) and 1976 (5-0 to Yankees). After an all-star campaign in 1977, he was traded to Detroit in a deal that brought 1980s staple Ben Oglivie. Then, Slaton was back, too, after the Tigers granted him free agency following the 1978 season. He threw 8⅓ innings in the 1980 opener but didn't get the win in a game that ended with a famous grand slam by Sixto Lezcano, good for a 9-5 victory over the Red Sox. Slaton holds the franchise mark for innings pitched, wins (117) and shutouts (19).
Bill Travers (1977)
Travers labored through 7⅔ innings and managed to keep the Yankees minimized, but the Brewers got nothing going in a 3-0 loss. Travers had been an all-star the year before and posted a 2.81 ERA, but injuries eventually derailed his season. He underwent elbow surgery to relocate a nerve, overseen by Frank Jobe (who had recently gained fame by saving Tommy John's career with the first "Tommy John surgery").
Jerry Augustine (1978)
The Kewaunee native worked into the ninth inning that day in an 11-3 win over Baltimore, on his way to making 30 starts in his last season as a primary starter. Mike Caldwell, who wound up taking second in the AL Cy Young voting that season, had a brilliant spring to make the roster as a reliever, but Caldwell made 34 starts that year and registering 23 complete games in Milwaukee's first winning season.
Mike Caldwell (1979, 1981)
How fitting that Caldwell, who had a reputation as a Yankee-killer, defeated the reigning World Series champs on opening day of 1979, 5-1, working a complete game to outshine the man who defeated him for the previous year's Cy Young, Ron Guidry. Caldwell finished with a 16-6 record that year, then started opening day again in 1981 (a 5-3 win over Cleveland) in a strike-divided season that ended with Milwaukee in its first-ever postseason.
Pete Vuckovich (1982)
He would win the Cy Young that season, kicked off with a 15-4 win over the Blue Jays, and the Brewers would reach the World Series for their first and only appearance. But Vuckovich was gutting through a shoulder injury that cost him almost the next two seasons, even though he was able to make appearances with the Brewers in 1985 and 1986. Vuckovich went 18-6 in 1982 with a 3.34 ERA despite a WHIP over 1.5.
Don Sutton (1983-84)
The future Hall of Famer is remembered in Milwaukee as a late-season acquisition in 1982 and contributing to the World Series run, but he stayed for two more years and served as opening day starter both times at age 38 and 39. He was relatively effective for the Brewers, too, posting a 3.93 ERA over the two years, including a 3-2 loss to the Angels to kick of 1983 and a 6-5 loss to the Athletics in 1984. The latter featured the return of another Hall of Famer, Rollie Fingers, who surrendered three runs in a ninth-inning A's comeback without recording an out after missing all of 1983 with injury.
Moose Haas (1985)
Haas was a consistent contributor to the first great batch of Brewers teams, and he posted a 3.85 ERA in 1985 with an 8-8 record. In the 4-2 loss to the White Sox. Haas remains fourth in the organization with 91 wins and fifth in strikeouts with 800.
Teddy Higuera (1986-88)
There's a great argument that he's the best pitcher in franchise history. He was opening day starter after taking second in the 1985 rookie of the year voting, then took second in the Cy Young voting in 1986 with a 20-11 record and 2.79 ERA. The next year, he won 18 games with a 32-inning scoreless streak. And yet, 1988 was his best year, with a 2.45 ERA and league-leading 0.99 WHIP. His opening day performances were all wins: 6-3 over the White Sox, 5-1 over the Red Sox and 12-0 over the Orioles.
Don August (1989)
August worked eight innings and got credit for a complete game, but the Brewers lost to Cleveland, 2-1. August had gone 13-7 the year before with a 3.09 ERA, making him a logical choice to draw the assignment with Higuera injured.
Chris Bosio (1990)
After posting a 2.95 ERA the year before, Bosio allowed only one run in five innings but took a no-decision in a 2-1 loss to the White Sox. On July 31 that year, he was the opposing pitcher at County Stadium when Nolan Ryan won his 300th career game; it would be Bosio's last start of the year; he went on the disabled list with a knee issue two days later. He continued to be one of the team's best starters for the next two seasons.
Mark Knudson (1991)
Milwaukee had horrendous luck with pitching health in 1991. Higuera was sidelined by injury, Bosio's knee soreness knocked him off the opening day schedule, and 1990 midseason acquisition Ron Robinson suffered an injury that eventually limited him to just 4⅓ innings that season. That opened the door for a spring training bright spot, Knudson, with Bosio working the next day. Knudson worked five innings in a 5-4 win over Texas, but rotator cuff soreness sapped his effectiveness that season. He was limited to 12 appearances with a 7.97 ERA, and he spent much of the season in the minors.
Bill Wegman (1992-93)
An exciting season for the Brewers started with a pitcher who went 15-7 with a 2.84 ERA in 1991, and Wegman delivered a strong follow-up campaign, recording a 3.20 ERA in 35 starts. He went eight innings against the Twins in the opener at County Stadium but took a no-decision in a 4-2 loss, then took a 3-1 loss to the Angels to kick off 1993, this time going all eight innings in the road setback. Wegman fell off his previous pace in 1993 but is still seventh in franchise history in wins (81).
Cal Eldred (1994, 1998)
Eldred, who took fourth in the 1992 rookie of the year voting, was part of the Brewers from 1991-1999, though injuries took a huge toll. He still started 25 games in 1994, tied among the league leaders in the strike-truncated season, though he needed reconstructive elbow surgery in the years that followed. The opener in 1994 was memorable largely because of a wind chill of zero degrees in Milwaukee, when he allowed five first-inning runs against Oakland but still clawed through five innings and the Brewers rallied to win, 11-7. He went six innings against Atlanta four years later, though the Braves won, 2-1, on an error by catcher Mike Matheny in the bottom of the ninth to score the winning run. Matheny is now manager of the Kansas City Royals, and Eldred is his pitching coach.
Ricky Bones (1995-96)
The 1994 all-star started two opening days, though he was traded to the Yankees in August 1996. Those were not glorious seasons for Bones, who finished with a 5.33 ERA from 1995-96 with a 1.57 WHIP and 17-26 record. He lost his rotation spot shortly before the trade. His opening day starts were wild, a 15-9 win over the Angels in 1996 and 12-3 win over the White Sox in 1995 in which Bones was pulled in the fifth inning both times and received no decision.
Ben McDonald (1997)
It was a big deal in 1996 when Ben McDonald signed as a free agent, but the schedule shook out to let Bones start the season opener that year. Instead, the 6-7 right-hander opened the 1997 season, working seven innings in a 6-2 loss the Texas Rangers in Arlington. McDonald ran into shoulder trouble later that year and was traded to Cleveland in the offseason but never threw another big-league pitch.
Rafael Roque (1999)
One of the least heralded names on this list, the 27-year-old Roque had just made his big-league debut the previous August, and it wasn't clear he'd even make the roster out of camp. Manager Phil Garner shocked everyone in naming Roque, ostensibly the No. 5 starter, as the opening day starter to replace an ailing Scott Karl, a ploy designed to keep the other pitchers on schedule. Roque threw only two innings after allowing a run on one hit and five walks in a 10-8 win over the Cardinals to launch the 1999 season. Roque didn't register a winning decision in any of his eight starts that year before he was moved to the bullpen; he finished 1-6 with a 5.34 ERA, with the distinction of surrendering both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's 64th home runs that year.
Steve Woodard (2000)
In 1997, he authored one of the most spectacular debuts in Wisconsin sports history, but he got a no-decision in his only opening day start ... and so did everyone else, because the rain-shortened game in Cincinnati ended in a 3-3 tie. Woodard allowed his three runs in five innings. He went only 1-7 that season with a 5.96 ERA before getting traded to Cleveland.
Jamey Wright (2001)
Wright allowed just one run on five hits in seven innings but took the hard-luck loss in a 1-0 setback against the Dodgers. Wright occasionally showed flashes of excellence during his Brewers career but the overall numbers weren't there, with a 4.90
ERA that year and 1.54 WHIP.
Ben Sheets (2002-05, 2007-08)
Also arguably the greatest pitcher in Brewers history, a four-time all-star and six-time opening day starter. He never took a loss on opening day though was hit with three no-decisions, including in an 11-9 loss in 2003 to the Cardinals. Otherwise, the Brewers won all his season-opening starts, including a memorable 4-3 win in rainy Chicago to kick off the playoff-drought-ending 2008 season. He missed the 2006 start because of tendinitis.
Doug Davis (2006)
With Sheets injured, Doug Davis got the start in his stead during a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh, getting a no-decision. The deliberate-working left-hander had been strong for the Brewers in 2004 and 2005, but he finished the 2006 season with a 4.91 ERA and 1.52 WHIP.
Jeff Suppan (2009)
One of the most discussed free-agent signings in franchise history, Suppan was tapped to start the season in 2009 by manager Ken Macha despite struggles down the stretch in 2008. Suppan took the loss in a 10-6 setback against the Giants (six runs allowed in four innings) and finished the year 7-12 with a 5.29 ERA over 30 starts. He was released in 2010, bringing to end a career in which he recorded a 5.09 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.
Yovani Gallardo (2010-14)
For five years, Yovani Gallardo was the star of the rotation, even though the Brewers remarkably had a 1-4 record in his opening day starts (though a 7-6 loss to kick off 2011 was decidedly not his fault after a bullpen meltdown against the Reds). In eight years with the Brewers, Gallardo went 89-64 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, making an all-star team in 2010. He struck out 200 batters in four straight seasons.
Kyle Lohse (2015)
Here begins a streak of six new opening day starters in six years, with dubious outcomes galore. Lohse, whose free-agent signing meant the forfeiture of a first-round draft pick in 2013, allowed eight runs on 10 hits in 3⅓ innings in a 10-0 loss to Colorado on opening day. Lohse posted a 3.45 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over his first two seasons in Milwaukee, but he fell off a cliff this season, posting a 5.85 ERA and 5-13 record in 37 appearances, starting with losses in four of five April starts.
Wily Peralta (2016)
The opening day curse next moved to Peralta, a right-hander whose 17-win 2014 season still had the Brewers dreaming big on his future. But he posted a 4.86 ERA that season — the 12-3 loss to the Giants in the opener was a gloomy harbinger — with a WHIP of 1.53, and those numbers only got worse the next year before the team finally parted ways with him.
Junior Guerra (2017)
The Brewers found an intriguing gem with the first roster move of the David Stearns era when they acquired Guerra off waivers in late 2015, and he thrived with a 2.81 ERA in 2016. It was a great story for the veteran of minor-league and independent-league baseball to get an opening day start, but he left that start with injury and didn't return until late May. He wound up having his worst year with the Brewers (5.12 ERA in 70 innings). The Brewers fell to the Rockies in the opener, 7-5, with Guerra leaving after three innings and getting a no-decision.
Chase Anderson (2018)
Anderson, acquired from Arizona before the 2016 season, had been steady his first year and superb in 2017, when he posted a 2.74 ERA and 12-4 record. The 2018 opener kicked off a wild division-winning season, with a 2-1 win over the Padres in extra innings. Anderson, who scored a run in the game with a face-first slide into home plate, finished with a 3.93 ERA in 30 starts, though the rotation ultimately was anchored by Jhoulys Chacín and Wade Miley in the playoffs.
Jhoulys Chacín (2019)
The unlikely star of the 2018 playoff run was also an unlikely home run hitter in a thrilling 5-4 win over the Cardinals to open the 2019 season, a game ending with Lorenzo Cain's game-saving catch at the wall. But Chacín couldn't replicate his 2018 magic on the whole; he went 3-10 with a 5.79 ERA for the Brewers that year before getting released at the end of August.
Brandon Woodruff (2020-21)
Woodruff took the loss as the Brewers fell to the Cubs, 3-0, to start a bizarre 2020 pandemic-shortened season. He didn't get a decision last year when the Brewers rallied for a 6-5 win over the Twins, but if there was an opening day "curse" for the Brewers, it ended here. Woodruff delivered a signature performance late in 2020 to will the Brewers to the playoffs and he took fifth last year in the Cy Young voting. He takes a back seat this year only because Burnes emerged as an even more dominant option. | 2022-04-05T20:15:36Z | www.jsonline.com | The 33 pitchers who have started opening day for the Brewers | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/05/33-pitchers-who-have-started-opening-day-brewers/7269329001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/05/33-pitchers-who-have-started-opening-day-brewers/7269329001/ |
It all started with an unopened email from the White House.
Chrysa Ostenso of Ladysmith, a long-time advocate for the Affordable Care Act, neglected the email that arrived in her inbox late last week.
On Monday, she learned she really should have opened the message. She was invited to Tuesday's White House Ceremony touting Obamacare. Not only would President Joe Biden be there, so would former President Barack Obama.
Ostenso made a quick decision. She drove from Ladysmith to Chicago late Monday and early Tuesday took a flight to Washington, D.C., making the ceremony in plenty of time.
"It’s pretty special to be in that building," she said. "To see the art and the photographs, the beauty. It kind of made me think we should be more appreciative of our rich history."
Ostenso was there because she benefited from provisions in the American Rescue Plan that made Obamacare marketplace plans more affordable, limiting premiums to no more than 8.5% of income.
Ostenso and her husband, who own and operate an optometry clinic in Ladysmith, saw their monthly premiums go from almost $2,000 to under $300.
While political leaders made the big push for Obamacare, advocates like Ostenso, who is an activist with the liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin, also played a role in harnessing public support for health care reform.
"It’s a small role you play when you live in a small town," she said. "But it doesn’t mean it’s insignificant." | 2022-04-05T22:30:26Z | www.jsonline.com | Chrysa Ostenso witnesses White House ceremony to celebrate Obamacare | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/05/chrysa-ostenso-witnesses-white-house-ceremony-celebrate-obamacare/9475466002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/05/chrysa-ostenso-witnesses-white-house-ceremony-celebrate-obamacare/9475466002/ |
Voters reelect Delafield Mayor Kent Attwell to third term; reelect Ald. Wayne Dehn to council
Voters reelected a familiar face to serve as Delafield's next mayor.
Incumbent Kent Attwell defeated challenger Ald. Wayne Dehn in the April 5 mayoral race. Attwell received 1,128 votes or 55.5% of the vote, and Dehn had 902 or 44.4%, and 0.1% of votes were write-ins. Results are unofficial until they are canvassed.
"I'd like to thank the citizens of Delafield for reelecting me, and we'll continue to make Delafield better together," Atwell said Tuesday evening.
This will be Attwell's third term. He campaigned on the city's goal of reaching the construction goal he set in 2020, and focused on Hendricks Commercial Properties' downtown two four-story building development.
During his campaign, Attwell also expressed his support for the Delafield Police Department and Lake Country Fire and Rescue.
Dehn, who also ran for alderperson District-4 in the April 5 election, will continue to serve on City Council. He ran against Laura Schult and won with 182 votes or 61.3% against Schult's 115 votes or 38.7%.
"Glad I won as alderperson, disappointed I lost as mayor, but I'm still going to work hard for the citizens of Delafield," said Dehn.
Kent Attwell (inc.) 1,128
Wayne Dehn, 902 | 2022-04-06T02:42:24Z | www.jsonline.com | Delafield mayor election results for Kent Attwell and Wayne Dehn race | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/delafield/2022/04/05/delafield-mayor-election-results-kent-attwell-and-wayne-dehn-april-5-2022/7222084001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/delafield/2022/04/05/delafield-mayor-election-results-kent-attwell-and-wayne-dehn-april-5-2022/7222084001/ |
Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto, who has been in office since 2010, wins re-election
Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto, who has been mayor since 2010, won his bid for re-election Tuesday night.
Ponto received 58% of the vote in beating former Elmbrook School Board member David Marcello in the election. The results of the election are unofficial until they are canvassed.
Before serving as mayor, Ponto was an alderman for the city from 1998 to 2010. Ponto ran unopposed in 2018, but Marcello tossed his hat into the race in early 2021.
"I'm delighted with the results," Ponto said Tuesday night.
"I think this was really an important election for Brookfield," he added. "I think my 12 years as mayor has set a really good direction for the city."
New construction and adding more developments in Brookfield have been a focus for Ponto during his tenure. In 2019, net new construction was at a high for the city, at $180 million.
An upcoming focus for Ponto will be ensuring that Brookfield Square continues to thrive. Ponto said he foresees the mall becoming a "suburban town center" in the coming years.
"I think this is a great affirmation of my 12-year record, and I'm looking forward to building on it for another four years," Ponto said.
Ponto said he's "thoroughly enjoyed being mayor."
"I have no aspirations to do something else so I'm just delighted to be able to continue that," he said.
Marcello could not be reached Tuesday night.
Steve Ponto (inc.): 6,937 (58.5%)
David Marcello: 4,919 (41.5%) | 2022-04-06T02:42:36Z | www.jsonline.com | Brookfield mayor election results on April 5, 2022: Steve Ponto wins | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/brookfield/2022/04/05/brookfield-mayor-election-results-april-5-2022/7215053001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/brookfield/2022/04/05/brookfield-mayor-election-results-april-5-2022/7215053001/ |
Alison Dirr Bill Glauber Mary Spicuzza
Cavalier Johnson made history Tuesday — and brought a new generation to political power at City Hall — becoming the first African American elected as Milwaukee’s mayor.
Johnson, who was born, raised and still lives on the city’s north side, overwhelmed former south side Ald. Bob Donovan in a special election to an abbreviated two-year term.
Just 35, Johnson is Milwaukee’s first millennial mayor, his triumph confirming his swift six-year rise from Common Council freshman to the seat of power in Wisconsin's largest city.
"This city for the first time in our 176 year history has elected its first Black mayor. We did it," Johnson told supporters at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.
Accompanied by his wife and their three children, Johnson said "we want our city to be loving, nurturing and stable. That's why I ran for mayor."
Johnson said "we've got a lot to do," adding the city has to stem violence, restore its neighborhoods, create jobs and repair the broken relationship with state government.
Less than 45 minutes after the polls closed, Johnson had nearly 70% of the vote with a handful of precincts and around 30,000 absentee ballots to be counted.
Johnson and Donovan sought voters' support to become Milwaukee's first new mayor in 18 years, after the midterm departure of former Mayor Tom Barrett in December. He resigned to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
Johnson, who was Common Council president, automatically became acting mayor after Barrett left.
In 2004, Marvin Pratt followed a similar path after the resignation of then-Mayor John Norquist. Pratt rose from leading the Common Council to becoming the first Black to serve as acting mayor. But after winning a 2004 primary, Pratt was unable to claim the top office, losing to Barrett in the general election.
Johnson became Milwaukee's acting mayor just before Christmas and methodically seized the opportunity to establish himself as the city's leader.
He held a ceremonial swearing-in that featured every bit of pomp and circumstance expected of a post-election event.
And he maintained a steady public presence by holding regular news conferences. Technically, Johnson still held the role as 2nd District alderman and Common Council president. But as acting mayor, he always referred to those positions in the past tense.
He had the mayor's office at City Hall and wasn't about to relinquish it.
Less than an hour after polls closed, Donovan conceded during an election-night party at McKiernan's Irish Pub on the city's south side.
Donovan congratulated Johnson and said: "Well, we took it on the chin tonight, but boy oh boy, we’re not down."
“There’s no shame in going after it and coming up short,” Donovan said. “We had a vision, a goal, a plan for Milwaukee that I still to this day believe in.”
Asked what’s next, Donovan said, “I’m going to have a beer!”
Donovan, the former alderman, faced daunting odds to win. He didn't just trail in fundraising, he couldn't match the citywide support Johnson piled up in a seven-way primary.
Overall, Johnson raised and spent more than four times as much money as Donovan did in the race. Since the start of the year, Johnson spent more than $650,000 compared with $160,000 for Donovan.
Johnson also received $100,000 from the state Democratic Party, an unusually large contribution in a local, nonpartisan race. Donovan did gain endorsements from two Republicans running for governor, Kevin Nicholson and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.
Donovan, a determined campaigner, also criticized Johnson for the support he received from Fair Future Action. The secretive group was widely believed to be funded by former Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. And it pumped at least $150,000 into TV ads to help Johnson's campaign.
This was Donovan's second campaign for mayor. He failed to unseat Barrett in 2016.
Race offers contrasts
The differences between Johnson and Donovan are many and stark: north side and south side, Black and white, Democrat and conservative, millennial and baby boomer, a half-dozen years in elected office and two decades.
But there was definitely a lack of energy at the polls, with many voters saying they cast ballots out of a sense of civic duty.
“I always participate in the electoral process because it makes a difference,” said Terry Eiland, 56, who cast his ballot at James Madison Academic Campus on the northwest side. “You don’t have nothing to say if you don’t vote.”
Eiland didn't say whom he voted for but acknowledged it was a tough decision.
“Milwaukee has so many problems, so you do have to get the right person in there,” he said.
At Clinton Rose Senior Center on the city's north side, Passion Terrell, 48, an educator with Milwaukee Public Schools, said she always votes and for years has cast ballots for Barrett.
This time, she went with Johnson, drawn to his youth and hopeful he can tackle issues of violence, crime, youth employment and the proposed breakup of MPS.
“You can have a few years or a lot of years, that doesn’t mean that you can’t bring something new and fresh, or different, to the table,” she said.
For Melissa DeBot, the major issue was simple: "That Cavalier Johnson wins."
DeBot, who said she walks all over the city, said Johnson was a proponent of making Milwaukee more pedestrian friendly.
Colleen Richter, 50, said she voted for Donovan because she thinks he would “do good” for the city.
“I think he would help fight crime. I think he’d be good for the neighborhoods,” she said. “I think he’s a good guy.”
Next mayor faces historic challenges, opportunity
Johnson's honeymoon will likely be short.
He comes into office as the city is confronting soaring homicides, reckless driving cutting short residents' lives and questions of how the city should fund — and redefine — public safety.
Not to mention a fast-approaching spike in the annual pension contribution that threatens city services and, officials agree, will take the state's help to address. That assistance, whether through an increased sales tax or a boost to shared revenue, has long been requested by Milwaukee leaders to no avail.
But Johnson is also becoming mayor at a moment when the city is poised to receive a historic sum — nearly $200 million more — in federal pandemic aid that could make significant headway possible on some of the most pressing problems. Key decisions on how to spend it will fall to him and the Common Council.
All the work ahead will have to happen on an expedited timeline. Johnson will have only the remaining two years on Barrett's term instead of the typical four to convince voters he's the right person to lead Milwaukee into the future.
Special election for District 2 Common Council seat
Johnson's election leaves open the Common Council seat representing District 2 on the city's northwest side.
The next council president will be elected at the April 19 meeting, after which a special election is expected to be ordered.
Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said she was hopeful the election will coincide with the fall cycle but that an election could be ordered in the summer. | 2022-04-06T02:42:42Z | www.jsonline.com | Cavalier Johnson wins Milwaukee mayoral election, defeats Bob Donovan | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/05/cavalier-johnson-wins-milwaukee-mayoral-spring-general-election-defeats-bob-donovan-april-5-2022/7233501001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/05/cavalier-johnson-wins-milwaukee-mayoral-spring-general-election-defeats-bob-donovan-april-5-2022/7233501001/ |
Fox Point-Bayside School District votes for $58.5 million referendum
Voters in the Fox Point-Bayside School District have approved an operational referendum, according to unofficial results.
Voters approved the referendum with 54.61% of the vote. The referendum asks for $58.5 million to replace Bayside Middle School and provide upgrades to Stormonth Elementary School.
“Today, the residents of Bayside and Fox Point voted to support the referendum plan for Fox Point-Bayside Schools to address key facility needs at Bayside Middle and Stormonth Elementary Schools,” said Jeff Dellutri, superintendent for the Fox Point-Bayside School District, in a statement.
The district will share plans and updates as it moves into the design and construction phases of the projects.
"We are incredibly thankful to have the community’s support to help us continue our mission to elevate every child to excellence and significantly exceed educational outcomes for our students," Dellutri added.
The tax rate is expected to increase by $2.32 per $1,000 of property value for about 21 years as a result of the referendum. The 2021-22 tax rate is $8.74 per $1,000 of property value, up from its 2020-21 tax rate of $8.58 per $1,000.
A homeowner with a $200,000 property will pay an additional $464 per year for the referendum. A homeowner with a $300,000 property will pay an additional $696 annually toward the referendum.
Both facilities have faced issues with aging structures, according to the district. Bayside Middle School was built in 1953, and Stormonth Elementary was built in 1935. Over two years of exploring options for improving both schools, the district decided it was best to replace the existing Bayside facility and provide critical repairs and upgrades for Stormonth.
For Bayside, the existing building will be razed once the new facility is completed. The land where the current building is will become a new track, play areas and expanded parking.
The other part of the referendum will address critical capital improvements at Stormonth Elementary School, including extensive replacement and repair of building exteriors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; fire alarms and suppression systems, restroom renovations to improve American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility and other improvements, such as new flooring, ceilings and paint. | 2022-04-06T04:39:38Z | www.jsonline.com | Fox Point-Bayside referendum election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/bayside/2022/04/05/fox-point-bayside-referendum-election-results-april-5-2022/7220923001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/bayside/2022/04/05/fox-point-bayside-referendum-election-results-april-5-2022/7220923001/ |
Voters in the Nicolet School District have approved an operational referendum, according to unofficial results.
Voters approved the referendum with 56.87% of the vote. The referendum asked for $77.4 million to improve safety, security and accessibility at the school; update building conditions and systems and improve learning environments; and improve physical education and athletic spaces, including construction of a new stadium.
"Because of this support, the District will be able to address key areas of need: safety, security, and accessibility; building conditions and systems; and learning environments, physical education, and outdoor athletic areas," said Greg Kabara, superintendent for the Nicolet School District, in a statement.
"We are thrilled to have the community’s support to ensure our campus facilities meet the high expectations that our students, staff and residents deserve as they learn and grow. The District looks forward to updating and expanding our facilities to ensure we can meet the needs of the community now and in the future."
The tax rate is expected to increase by $1.11 per $1,000 of fair market property value for about the next 21 years. It is a 26.1% increase over the 2021-22 tax rate of $4.25 per $1,000.
For example, the owner of a home valued at $250,000 will pay an additional $277.50 per year under the referendum. A homeowner with a $400,000 property will pay an additional $444 annually.
The district said it examined Nicolet’s facility needs for two years and noted that portions of the original building were built in the 1950s, with additions coming in 1962, 1989 and 2004.
Among the upgrades and improvements the referendum will address are: improving safety, security and accessibility at the school; updating building conditions and systems and improving learning environments; and improved physical education and athletic spaces, including construction of a new stadium.
For the school building, major systems will be replaced, including heating, ventilation and cooling, electrical and lighting, plumbing and sanitary pipes, fire alarms and sprinklers. The roof will be replaced, and ceilings, floors and lockers will be replaced or updated. This includes removal of lead and asbestos.
A large portion of the referendum also covers physical education and athletic facilities. Referendum funds will go toward the building of a 2,500-seat multipurpose stadium with a synthetic turf field, track, restrooms and concession stands; nine new tennis courts; a separate synthetic turf field; and building discus and shot put areas and the reconfiguration of the grass practice fields.
Funds would also go to expanding physical education and wellness areas, renovating weight and fitness rooms, creating small and large breakout and collaboration rooms, and light renovation of other classrooms and learning spaces, including paint, flooring, ceilings, and furniture updates. | 2022-04-06T04:39:50Z | www.jsonline.com | Nicolet High School referendum election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/glendale/2022/04/05/nicolet-high-school-referendum-election-results-april-5-2022/7221224001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/glendale/2022/04/05/nicolet-high-school-referendum-election-results-april-5-2022/7221224001/ |
Two challengers have won seats on the Mequon-Thiensville School Board in the April 5 election.
Paul Buzzell received the most votes with 4,717 (29.30%), while Jason Levash took second with 4,511 votes (28.02%) to take the seats on the board.
Jill Chromy was third with 3,474 votes (21.58%) and Scarlett Johnson was fourth with 3,373 votes (20.95%). There were 26 write-in votes. 16,101 total votes were cast.
Each seat carries a three-year term and results are unofficial until they are canvassed.
Buzzell thanked the friends and supporters who helped him and Levash while also praising Levash, as both worked together on their campaigns. He also said that both focused on trying to run a positive campaign and get the right information out.
"The real work is going to begin now. There's a lot of opportunities to better our communication, our transparency, communication of the school with the community. There's a lot of things to do. Sometimes, everyone isn't always going to know who does what, but we're going to get better," Buzzell said.
Levash said he's really excited for the community and that it needs to come together to support students.
"Today's really that first step to move that forward post-pandemic and the board recall. We have a lot of work to do to ensure that everybody is moving forward in a positive direction for our students," Levash said.
Chromy and Johnson, who also worked together on their campaigns, did not immediately respond to requests for an interview.
The April 5 general election and preceding February primary followed a months-long effort in 2021 to recall Mequon-Thiensville School Board members Wendy Francour, Erik Hollander, Akram Khan and Chris Schultz. The recall effort failed after a majority of voters rejected it in November 2021. Khan and Schultz's seats were up for election this year and despite surviving the recall, both chose not to run for re-election.
Paul Buzzell 4,717
Jason Levash 4,511
Jill Chromy 3,474
Scarlett Johnson 3,373
Write-in votes 26 | 2022-04-06T04:39:56Z | www.jsonline.com | Mequon-Thiensville School Board election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/mequon/2022/04/05/mequon-thiensville-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217563001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/mequon/2022/04/05/mequon-thiensville-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217563001/ |
Two first-time trustees will replace incumbents in the village of Shorewood
Shorewood's new trustees will be Eric Couto and Jerry Lynn.
Couto secured the most votes with 1,848 (40%) and Lynn followed with 1,542 (33%).
Candidate Noah Wolfe received 1,227 votes (27%).
Incumbents Wesley Warren and Tammy Bockhorst did not run for re-election.
Couto said he is excited to serve and looks forward to "representing my neighbors on the village board."
Lynn said his campaign has been "an incredibly fulfilling experience."
"The community came out to support us in ways that I could never have imagined," he said. "From start to finish, neighbors have been by my side helping the campaign move along, and I have so many people to thank. Trustee is a community service job, and it was the community effort that won it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve and look forward to continuing the work of the board to build a brighter future for the village."
Couto and Wolfe were not available for comment.
Eric Couto 1,848
Jerry Lynn 1,542
Noah Wolfe 1,227 | 2022-04-06T04:40:03Z | www.jsonline.com | Shorewood village trustee election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/shorewood/2022/04/05/shorewood-village-trustee-election-results-april-5-2022/7222782001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/shorewood/2022/04/05/shorewood-village-trustee-election-results-april-5-2022/7222782001/ |
Butler voters overwhelmingly approve a referendum that will result in hiring an additional police officer
Voter support in the village of Butler was overwhelmingly in favor of having an additional police officer.
The referendum for the April 5 election sought to increase the tax levy by $140,000 to cover the cost of an additional police officer.
The majority of the voters, 258 or 71.7% of the votes cast, supported the referendum. Voting against it were 102 voters, 28.3%.
"We are excited for the Police Department and the community," said Capt. Victor Herpin of the results.
He noted that the department has not increased the size of its force since 1980, even though the issues its officers deal with have become more complicated.
The additional funds will be allocated beginning in 2023, and will cover the cost of the officer as well as necessary equipment.
The department sought the additional officer to strengthen its shift staffing to meet peak demand hours while reducing overtime effects and ensuring that off-duty officers are able to properly rest and recover from their shifts, according to information on the village website.
Police Chief David Wentlandt said before the election that the additional benefits of having an extra officer would be increased traffic enforcement, investigative efficiency, less reliance on mutual aid and proactive outreach.
The department handled 3,400 more calls in 2020 than in 2014, the website said. Calls for service have become increasingly complex, with calls involving violence, drug overdoses, mental illness and other issues.
The referendum will result in an increase of 56 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Results are unofficial until they have been canvassed.
Yes, 258
No, 102 votes | 2022-04-06T04:40:13Z | www.jsonline.com | Butler referendum election results April 5 for one more police officer | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/butler/2022/04/05/butler-referendum-election-results-police-officer-april-5-2022/7176368001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/butler/2022/04/05/butler-referendum-election-results-police-officer-april-5-2022/7176368001/ |
Voters in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District have loudly said no to a nearly $150 million referendum.
A $149.8 million referendum that would have closed Nathan Hale and West Allis Central high schools and created a new consolidated high school was defeated soundly.
With 31 of 32 precincts reporting, there were 4,982 no votes to 2,931 yes votes, according to unofficial results, a margin of 63% to 37%.
The proposal was the district's solution to address aging school buildings — the average age of schools in the district is over 76 years — declining enrollment and facilities that do not support a modern curriculum.
West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board President Noah Leigh said as a community member, taxpayer and parent of students in the district, the result is disappointing, but it's feedback.
"The district has spent a lot of time reaching out to hundreds of our community members to find what we feel is a good plan to move forward, and we thought we had good feedback and were able to put a solid plan forward," Leigh said. "So the feedback that we've gotten is that this is not something that the community wants to move forward with right now, at least in its current form."
If the referendum had passed, both Nathan Hale and Central high schools would have been closed and Hale would have been repurposed and remodeled to create a new, merged comprehensive and modern high school.
The plan would have created an opportunity for savings for taxpayers and a better high school experience for students, according to the district.
The new high school would have provided expanded career and technical education ("shop") spaces that built on the community's manufacturing history while creating new school-to-work pathways for students, district officials said.
Leigh said another referendum will be in the offing, but what it will look like and when it'll be held has yet to be determined.
"The simple answer is that the needs of the district haven't gone away," he said. "This was the first plan that we put together that we thought would be a good first step, and the answer from the community was they did not agree. So we'll have to go back and look at that plan and see what we're going to do next."
"Shall the School District of West Allis-West Milwaukee, et al., Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $149,800,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project to create a single comprehensive high school at a current district high school site, consisting of: safety, security, building systems and infrastructure updates; construction of additions, renovations and improvements, including additions for classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and an auditorium; site improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?"
31 of 32 precincts reporting | 2022-04-06T04:40:55Z | www.jsonline.com | West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools referendum election results | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/west-allis/2022/04/05/west-allis-west-milwaukee-schools-referendum-election-results-nathan-hale-west-allis-central/7222830001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/west-allis/2022/04/05/west-allis-west-milwaukee-schools-referendum-election-results-nathan-hale-west-allis-central/7222830001/ |
Shawn Reilly has earned a third term as Waukesha's mayor by a nearly 2-to-1 margin
WAUKESHA - The city's mayoral race, in which both candidates avoided seeking party involvement in their campaigns, went to the incumbent who had previously disavowed his allegiance with the Republican Party.
Shawn Reilly won his third four-year term, gaining nearly 64% of the votes to Lisa Salb's 33%, in Tuesday's general election. Write-in candidate Keith Best, a late entry endorsed by the Republican Party of Waukesha County, got about 3% of the votes.
Both ballot candidates criticized a trend in local races that have succumbed to partisan elements. Salb specifically said that she rejected any party backing when she was encouraged to seek an endorsement. Reilly, a known conservative, formally announced early this year he had left the GOP because of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that many attributed to party zealots.
While the race was free of rancor, especially compared to the Waukesha School Board race, the mayoral candidates differed on certain key issues spelled out in a question-and-answer story, including the city's role in maintaining residents' safety following the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy in November.
Salb, a highly visible community member whose home sits among the highest points in Waukesha, also argued that the city has allowed developers to push for too many high-end apartments and fallen short on providing adequate housing for younger people.
But Reilly's role as an incumbent unplagued by controversy prevailed, and he appreciated residents' continued support, as well as the supporters of his third campaign.
"I trusted that I have done a good job as Waukesha's mayor during the last eight years and I trusted that the voters would recognize this," Reilly said. "I think it is important for each of us to recognize that Waukesha is where we want to live, where we want to raise children, where we want to work and where we want to grow old, because we are a caring and loving community. I'm very proud to be mayor of the city of Waukesha for another four years."
Shawn Reilly (inc.), 8,172
Lisa Salb, 4,214 | 2022-04-06T04:41:13Z | www.jsonline.com | Waukesha mayoral election results for Shawn Reilly, Lisa Salb | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/waukesha/2022/04/05/waukesha-mayoral-election-results-shawn-reilly-lisa-salb/7212927001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/waukesha/2022/04/05/waukesha-mayoral-election-results-shawn-reilly-lisa-salb/7212927001/ |
With support from free-spending conservative groups and endorsements from major Republicans, Waukesha County Judge Maria Lazar easily defeated incumbent Judge Lori Kornblum for a seat on the Court of Appeals for District II.
Kornblum, 65, a former Milwaukee County prosecutor living in Mequon, was appointed to the Waukesha-based seat last year and began work there in January. Lazar, 58, of Brookfield, had announced last year she would seek the job via election. She was elected to the circuit court in 2015, after five years at the state Department of Justice and 20 years in private practice.
Lazar maintained a lead of about 10 percentage points all night, and held the same margin with about 90% of the votes counted late Tuesday.
Lazar's victory was the second time in two years a conservative-backed challenger defeated an incumbent appellate judge appointed by Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat. Last year, Shelley Grogan, a law clerk to conservative Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley, beat Jeffrey Davis, who represented corporate clients at a major law firm and had served on the Court of Appeals for nearly two years.
Third-party TV ads from conservatives supporting Lazar called Kornblum a liberal, picked by Evers, who would "legislate from the bench," even though the Court of Appeals functions as a correcting court for cases from the trial level.
One ad supporting Lazar even used video from the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy to link Kornblum to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, whom the ad tries to blame for the suspect in the mass casualty event being free on bail at the time. Kornblum left the DA's office in 2014.
Kornblum's campaign put out a TV ad attacking Lazar's sentencing decision in the case of a former Brookfield police officer and federal agent convicted of sexually assaulting a woman he had been dating. Lazar gave David Scharlat 11 months in jail, not the four years prosecutors recommended.
The officially non-partisan race is for one of four seats on the District II panel of the court based in Waukesha, which hears appeals from 12 counties in southeastern Wisconsin, excluding Milwaukee County, which is its own district. Judges on the court earn $164,207 a year.
The other judges on District II are Mark Gundrum and Lisa Neubauer. | 2022-04-06T04:41:25Z | www.jsonline.com | Maria Lazar beats Kornblum for seat on Court of Appeals in Wisconsin | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/05/maria-lazar-beats-judge-lori-kornblum-seat-court-of-appeals-waukesha/9478387002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/05/maria-lazar-beats-judge-lori-kornblum-seat-court-of-appeals-waukesha/9478387002/ |
Mayor Robert Magnus wins reelection in Oconomowoc
CITY OF OCONOMOWOC - Robert Magnus will remain mayor of Oconomowoc.
Magnus, who has served as mayor since April 2020, won the election with 2,548 votes (56.6% of the vote), according to unofficial results. He defeated challenger Ald. Lou Kowieski.
This was Kowieski's second run for mayor. He ran against Magnus as a write-in candidate in 2020 after the Wisconsin Elections Commission ruled the alderman had not obtained enough valid signatures to be on the ballot.
This year, he finished with 1,950 votes (43.3%).
“I’m going to continue to serve where I’m needed in the community,” Kowieski said, “and the community said I’m needed here to continue on as an alderman. I love my city, I love my family, and I’m optimistic of what we can do in the future.”
Matt Mulder (District 1), Charles Schellpeper (District 2), Matt Rosek (District 3) and Jennifer Aultman Kloth (District 4) were elected to the Common Council.
Mulder and Rosek retained their seats, running unopposed. Schellpeper also retained his seat, handily winning a challenge from Andrew Moroni.
Aultman Kloth is the lone newcomer. She defeated incumbent John Zapfel in District 4.
Robert Magnus, 2,548
Lou Kowieski, 1,950 | 2022-04-06T06:24:07Z | www.jsonline.com | Oconomowoc mayor election results between Robert Magnus, Lou Kowieski | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/oconomowoc/2022/04/05/oconomowoc-mayor-election-results-between-robert-magnus-lou-kowieski-april-5-2022/7220594001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/oconomowoc/2022/04/05/oconomowoc-mayor-election-results-between-robert-magnus-lou-kowieski-april-5-2022/7220594001/ |
Two incumbents have lost their spots on the Pewaukee School Board.
Incumbents Ann Wright and Eric Krasovich came in fifth and sixth, respectively, in a field of six candidates.
Incumbent Steve Dankert received the most votes with 2,161 (20.8%). Challenger Bren Sawall was second with 1,970 votes (19%), while challenger Jane Flammang was close behind in third with 1,967 votes (19%).
Dankert said he had "a lot of gratitude" for being re-elected.
"I see it as a strong statement that people value the work that I've done and support wanting me to continue to do that work, which is why I was running for a second term," said Dankert.
Sawall said it was "very humbling" to have been a winner in the election. She said she wants parents to have a "greater voice" at the table and have a better understanding about curriculum.
"I really felt that the circumstances in the schools right now and parents just being really aware of everything that's going on. It was a year where the conservatives came out to vote, and they spoke. They spoke loud and clear. I'm just grateful that the voters of Pewaukee came out and they put their confidence in me," Sawall said.
Dankert, Sawall and Flammang beat challenger Jason Berg, who was fourth with 1,436 votes (13.8%); incumbent Ann Wright, who was fifth with 1,420 votes (13.7%) and incumbent Eric Krasovich, who was sixth with 1,399 votes (13.5%). There were also 20 write-in votes.
Flammang and Krasovich did not immediately respond to requests for an interview.
Berg said he was disappointed in the results, but respected the process.
"I'm still going to be a strong advocate for kids. I'm not going away, especially kids with disabilities, LGBTQ kids, kids of color and kids with mental health issues. I'll still be a strong advocate for adults who pursue the trades, and I'll be back," Berg said.
Wright said she also was disappointed in the results and that the race had become partisan.
"I thought that it was all about the kids and what was good for the school district. Unfortunately, it's really more partisan politics that have come back down to this level," said Wright.
Dankert and Sawall will receive three-year terms; Flammang will receive a two-year term.
Steve Dankert (inc.), 2,161
Bren Sawall, 1,970 votes
Jane Flammang 1,967 votes
Jason Berg, 1,436
Ann V. Wright (inc.), 1,420
Eric Krasovich (inc.), 1,399
Write-ins: 20 | 2022-04-06T06:24:13Z | www.jsonline.com | Pewaukee School Board election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/pewaukee/2022/04/05/pewaukee-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217410001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/pewaukee/2022/04/05/pewaukee-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217410001/ |
VILLAGE OF HARTLAND - A car crashed through the Unique Suites Salon on Tuesday morning.
The Hartland Fire Department received a call around 10:25 a.m. about a vehicle crashing into a building with one person trapped in the car.
Emergency crews found the vehicle, in the 200 block of Pawling Avenue, had crashed through the front of the business. The driver was able to exit the vehicle and declined ambulance transport. No injuries were reported.
The vehicle was stabilized by fire crews, and the building was checked by Hartland’s building inspector before the vehicle was removed.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation by the Hartland Police Department. | 2022-04-06T13:12:29Z | www.jsonline.com | Car crashes through wall of Unique Suites Salon in Hartland | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/06/car-crashes-through-wall-unique-suites-salon-hartland/9474688002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/06/car-crashes-through-wall-unique-suites-salon-hartland/9474688002/ |
4 incumbents retain seats on the Oconomowoc School Board in the 2022 spring general election
Four Oconomowoc School Board incumbents have retained their seats in the April 5 election.
Bill Thiel received the most votes with 5,311 (22%), Neal Ninmann was second with 4,989 votes (20%), Chad Schraufnagel was third with 4,905 votes (20%) and Sandy Schick received 3,735 votes (15%) to earn seats on the board.
Challengers Andrew Anderson and Paula Schmitz were on the lower end of votes. Anderson was fifth with 3,387 votes (14%), while Schmitz was sixth with 2,364 votes (10%).
The candidates were asked before the election about how to bring stability and cohesiveness to the board after four board members either resigned or left in 2021 and their views on masks and other COVID-19 protocols.
The board was in upheaval due to Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch resigning in August 2021 due to what they said was the board's "unwillingness to collaborate in good faith.". The three were replaced by appointed board members Ninmann, Schick and Schraufnagel in September 2021.
Then Scott Roehl stepped down from the board in November 2021 after moving out of the district and saying he and his family didn't feel safe. Thiel was appointed in January to fill Roehl's seat and finish out the term.
Bill Thiel (inc.), 5,311
Neal Ninmann (inc.), 4,989
Chad Schraufnagel (inc.), 4,905
Sandy Schick (inc.), 3,735
Andrew Anderson, 3,387
Paula Schmitz, 2,364 | 2022-04-06T13:12:35Z | www.jsonline.com | Oconomowoc Area School Board election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/oconomowoc/2022/04/06/oconomowoc-area-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217306001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/oconomowoc/2022/04/06/oconomowoc-area-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217306001/ |
One newcomer and two incumbents win spots on the Germantown School Board in the 2022 spring general election
There will be a new board member on the Germantown School Board.
Russ Ewert received the most votes in the race for Seat 2 with 3,753 votes (67%), while his opponent, Tracy Parker, received 1,886 votes (33%). Ewert and Parker both garnered the most votes in the Feb. 15 primary election, preventing incumbent Raymond Borden from advancing to the April 5 general election.
Two other seats were also up for election on the board. Incumbents Brian Medved and Michael Loth both retained their seats. Medved was re-elected to Seat 4 with 3,415 votes (63%), defeating challenger Adam Barr, who received 2,042 votes (37%). Loth was re-elected to Seat 6 with 3,375 votes (61%), defeating challenger Pam Schulz, who received 2,115 votes (39%).
Each seat carries a three-year term. Results are unofficial until they are canvassed.
Seat No. 2
Russ Ewert 3,753
Tracy Parker 1,886
Brian Medved (inc.) 3,415
Adam Barr 2,042
Michael Loth (inc.) 3,375
Pam Schulz 2,115 | 2022-04-06T13:12:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Germantown School Board election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/04/06/germantown-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217487001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/04/06/germantown-school-board-election-results-april-5-2022/7217487001/ |
Wauwatosa voters decided Tuesday night to shrink the size of the common council from 16 to 12 members.
But this referendum, which got 50.02% of the vote, is binding.
Just five votes separated yes votes from the no votes for the referendum.
The passing of the referendum also means alderpeople will not be allowed to serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.
Wauwatosa currently has eight aldermanic districts and two representatives per district on the council. But with the passing of the referendum, 12 new aldermanic districts will be defined, with one alderman per district.
City attorney Alan Kesner previously said the Common Council would outline a process to create the 12 new aldermanic districts before the 2026 election.
Now that the referendum has been approved:
All aldermanic positions elected in April 2024 will be for two-year terms.
In April 2026, Wauwatosa will begin to be represented by one alderperson per 12 districts. The alderpeople in Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 will be elected for two-year terms in that election. The other aldermanic positions will serve four-year terms.
Starting with the April 2028 election, all aldermanic positions elected will serve a four-year term.
Ald. Allison Byrne brought forward the proposal for a smaller council in 2021.
She believes having 16 council members, compared to 12, creates more work for city staff and extends discussions at city meetings. She also thinks there's confusion about what alderperson represents what district.
Byrne also said the move would force council members to be more accessible and accountable to residents in their district. | 2022-04-06T13:13:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Wauwatosa voters approve common council member reduction referendum | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/06/wauwatosa-voters-approve-common-council-member-reduction-referendum/7215045001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/06/wauwatosa-voters-approve-common-council-member-reduction-referendum/7215045001/ |
1. Art in Bloom at Milwaukee Art Museum
After a two-year absence, Art in Bloom, the spring show celebrating art and flowers, returns to the Milwaukee Art Museum April 7 through April 10. Nearly 30 art-inspired installations created by local florists are planned throughout the museum's galleries. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 7, 8 and 9, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 10. Admission is $27; $22 for students, seniors 65 and older and members of the military; $10 for museum members; and free for children 17 and younger. Info: mam.org/events/bloom.
2. Doggy Day in the Deer District
Doggy Day takes over the Deer District, the plaza in front of Fiserv Forum, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There'll be vendors, food and beverages (including Tito's Handmade Vodka, one of the event's sponsors), prizes and a slew of dog-friendly activities. Admission is free; dogs must be leashed. Info: deerdistrict.com.
3. Milwaukee Comic Con
Milwaukee Comic Con is back April 9 at State Fair Park's Wisconsin Exposition Center. More than 70 comic-book creators, artists, vendors and more will be on hand. Admission is $8, free for kids 12 and younger; it includes a free comic book. Comic Con runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: mightyconshows.com/show/milwaukee.
4. WMSE Rockabilly Chili fundraiser
The 20th annual WMSE Rockabilly Chili fundraiser is on April 10 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering's Kern Center, 1245 N. Broadway. More than 30 different chilis from local restaurants, cafes and food purveyors will be available, for participants to vote for the best of show in several categories. Tickets at the door are $20; kids 10 and younger get in free. Each ticket includes four chili samples. The doors open at 11 a.m. Info: wmse.org. | 2022-04-06T13:13:11Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee weekend events include a spring art show to Comic Con | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/events/2022/04/06/milwaukee-weekend-events-include-milwaukee-art-museum-art-in-bloom-milwaukee-comic-con-deer-district/7250303001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/events/2022/04/06/milwaukee-weekend-events-include-milwaukee-art-museum-art-in-bloom-milwaukee-comic-con-deer-district/7250303001/ |
Joseph Makhlouf will be Wauwatosa's next District 3 alderperson
Joseph Makhlouf will be Wauwatosa's next District 3 alderperson.
Makhlouf, who received 51% of the vote Tuesday,narrowly beat Patricia Stone for the seat, which serves residents of the south side of the city.
Stone and Makhlouf beat former Ald. Tim Hanson in the February primary election after Hanson had served as District 3 alderman for 16 years.
Makhlouf, 53, is a lifelong resident of Wauwatosa.
"I was excited," Makhlouf said of the results, calling it a "hard-fought election."
"The end result is that Wauwatosa wants change, and the residents of District 3 have seen fit to appoint me as the person to be the vector of that change," he said.
Makhlouf said he plans to be responsive to his constituents. He also wants to focus on issues related to development in the city.
"We need to take a hard look at that and see where it stands," he said.
Makhlouf has previously said development should "enhance and complement surrounding land uses, as outlined in the comprehensive plan."
He also wants to encourage more community input and engagement related to development projects.
Stone said she was grateful to her supporters.
"I look forward to continuing my efforts in other ways to make Wauwatosa the best community it can be, and I hope to work with Joe going forward in that effort," Stone said.
"No voter made a bad choice, regardless of who they voted for in this case," Stone added.
Stone and Makhlouf previously had to deal with a case of human error during the primary election, as Wauwatosa's clerk found 58 unopened and lawfully cast absentee ballots in a vault in the office after election night. Those ballots didn't affect the winners of the primary election, however.
Joseph Makhlouf, 575
Patricia Stone, 543 (48.44%) | 2022-04-06T15:27:16Z | www.jsonline.com | Wauwatosa District 3 alderman election results on April 5, 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/06/wauwatosa-district-3-alderman-election-results-april-5-2022/7215056001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/06/wauwatosa-district-3-alderman-election-results-april-5-2022/7215056001/ |
'Ain't Too Proud' shows off songs and dances that made the Temptations Motown's fab five
Teamwork makes the dream work, but not without facing a few Temptations along the way.
The national touring company of "Ain't Too Proud," the biographical musical about one of Motown's great groups, opened a week of performances Tuesday evening at the Marcus Performing Arts Center for an enthusiastic audience.
First and foremost, "Ain't Too Proud" delivers plenty of the soulful music and show-stopping dance moves that made the Temptations popular. Director Des McAnuff and his team have cast performers who are strong cognates for the Temps' most distinctive voices: Elijah Ahmad Lewis as the gruff showman David Ruffin, Jalen Harris singing the sweet falsetto of Eddie Kendricks, and Harrell Holmes Jr. as the comforting bass, Melvin "Blue" Franklin. Incorporating more than 30 songs or parts of songs, "Ain't Too Proud" touches every expected high spot, from the title song to the epic "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."
Fans will have their different favorites in this production; mine was "Just My Imagination," Kendricks' swan song with the group.
As for choreography, Sergio Trujillo won a Tony Award for recreating and evoking the Temps' moves, and it was well deserved.
"Ain't Too Proud" is based on the memoir of Otis Williams, the lone surviving Temp and keeper of the flame; respected playwright Dominique Morisseau wrote this musical's book. As Williams, Marcus Paul James is the show's narrator, moving us through the complicated history of a group that experienced multiple singer and style changes.
As the de facto bandleader, Williams is in the middle of many conflicts, including struggles with Motown leader Berry Gordy (Michael Andreaus) about singing Norman Whitfield's (Brett Michael Lockley) socially relevant material.
The Temps face ego battles, racism, alcohol and drug problems, war and cultural upheavals, musical arguments and health crises, but through it all Williams promotes group unity over everything. Perhaps that's why, in spite of the distinctive vocal brilliance of Ruffin and Kendricks, they ultimately had to go,
While Williams is often the voice of either caution or reason, he has his own troubles. His young wife Josephine (Najah Hetsberger, who has several terrific vocal moments), calls him out for his failures as a husband and father.
As a show, "Ain't Too Proud" feels a little long and talky to me; while earnest, Williams is not the most dynamic character. But I wouldn't cut a single note of the music or a single step from the dances.
"Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations" continues through April 10 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, visit marcuscenter.org or call (414) 273-7206. | 2022-04-06T15:27:28Z | www.jsonline.com | 'Ain't Too Proud' musical shows off the Temptations' songs and dances | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/04/06/aint-too-proud-musical-temptations/9469091002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/04/06/aint-too-proud-musical-temptations/9469091002/ |
State Highway 67 will be closed to all but local traffic between the villages of Dousman and Eagle from April to mid-July.
Ten miles of roadway will be resurfaced between U.S. 18 and state Highway 59. The state Department of Transportation announced the $2.57 million project on April 5. The contract was awarded to Rock Road. The project is scheduled to begin April 11 and be completed sometime in July.
The project will include milling and replacing 2 to 2½ inches of existing deteriorated pavement, removing and replacing outdated and damaged signs, removing and replacing outdated or damaged beam guard sections and end terminals, installing high friction surface treatment on three curves between Highway ZZ and Piper Road to improve safety, and re-installing center line rumble strips.
More:'There's now light at the end of the tunnel': Oconomowoc receives $2.3 million grant to finish pedestrian underpass
More:Waukesha County plans $740K rehabilitation of bridge over Highway F in Pewaukee
A detour will be routed to state Highway 83. The DOT said that access on Highway 67 will be maintained to all residences and businesses, as well as to the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
There will also be two short-term closures as a result of the construction. The first will be from County Highway ZZ to Piper Road. During that time, County Highway X to Piper Road will remain open.
The other closure will be at the crossing of the Glacial Drumlin State Trail for ramp improvements.
For more information on the project, visit projects.511wi.gov/67/full-project-overview/. | 2022-04-06T17:33:22Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin Highway 67 to be closed to through traffic starting April 11 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/06/wisconsin-highway-67-closed-through-traffic-starting-april-11/9484085002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/06/wisconsin-highway-67-closed-through-traffic-starting-april-11/9484085002/ |
Construction will get underway soon for a new subdivision in Germantown
Construction was slated to begin April 11 for a new subdivision in Germantown, village administrator Steve Kreklow confirmed.
The plan for Heritage Park North was approved in 2019 but had some delays in construction, some of which were due to COVID-19, Kreklow said.
The subdivision is slated to be at the northeast corner of Revere Lane and Division Road. The subdivision will have an entrance off Division Road and connect to the existing dead ends of Larkspur Lane and Bittersweet Trail to the north and Gunflint Trail to the east.
According to village documents, there will be 35 lots on 33 acres, and Kreklow said there should be a house per lot. He also said the zoning is R-5, which is a minimum of 75 feet wide with a minimum area of 9,000 square feet.
Kreklow said this is the last infill land project or area dedicated to new construction in the village. "It has development all around it. This is a good area because it has sewer and water," he said. He added that the subdivision provides a balance of protecting the wetlands and fitting in, sizewise, with the other developments in the neighborhood.
"It is good to see this development going forward," he said.
Brian Depies, an applicant on the proposal with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. of Delafield, said the the project should be ready for groundbreaking by fall, and homes would be built throughout 2023. | 2022-04-06T17:33:28Z | www.jsonline.com | New Germantown subdivision to begin construction soon | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/04/06/new-germantown-subdivision-heritage-park-north-begin-construction-soon/9466231002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/germantown/2022/04/06/new-germantown-subdivision-heritage-park-north-begin-construction-soon/9466231002/ |
What do you call a cow on the floor? Anybody know? Ground beef!
The enthusiasm with which Giannis Antetokounmpo has been deploying his fleet of corny "dad jokes" has added to his endearing legacy in Milwaukee, though he came especially prepared after a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on March 29. Before speaking to members of the media after the crucial 118-116 road victory, Giannis sat at the podium, cracked open a new book, simply titled "Dad Jokes" and offered his brief dose of bovine humor for the evening.
Giannis ended the night with 40 points, 14 rebounds, a key win and an enhanced national appreciation for his dedication to the craft of lame humor.
It turns out, though, that the story behind the book is even better.
A family that doesn't get to see Giannis play gets something even better
On March 16, Brian O’Donnell stayed up late at his home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to catch the end of the game between the Bucks and the Sacramento Kings. It was a bit of superstition on his part; his three boys (Brady, 14; Blake, 12; Luke, 9) were excited to voyage to Minneapolis three days later to watch Giannis face off with the Minnesota Timberwolves. O'Donnell wanted to be absolutely sure Antetokounmpo didn't get nicked up against the Kings and would, presumably, be active when the four of them sat near the Bucks bench at the Target Center.
Brian admits he grew up a Boston Celtics fan, but his sons have taken a shine to Giannis (his wife, Jenny, hails from Wisconsin and has family ties to the state) and the family had saved for quality seats and found a rare open weekend to make the four-hour trip for a game.
The interest in the Bucks star had grown for the O'Donnells during a medical scare for Brady last summer, when his appendix ruptured on Father's Day weekend. Brian and Brady sat together in his hospital room last July and watched the Bucks beat the Nets in overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. Brady was groggy enough from surgery that he wasn't sure if he'd dreamed some of the details.
"The boys did all their research and knew Giannis takes the court two hours before the game," O'Donnell said, adding that the four of them made sure to get to the game far enough in advance to see warmups. "He didn't warm up, so then all of a sudden one of the guys somewhere around me checked Bleacher Report or something, using some not-so-nice language and saying that Giannis is not playing. He's sitting out because of his knee.
"The boys were obviously pretty disappointed. I don't want to say devastated or anything; there are much bigger problems in the world than not seeing a superstar play ball, but they had planned out the week before we were going."
Indeed, the Bucks didn't have Giannis and lost, 138-119. But, there was already a silver lining.
The family had lodging just across the street from the arena, coincidentally where the Bucks were staying. As the team rolled into the hotel late the night before, the O'Donnells caught a glimpse of Bucks players checking in. And they had something for Giannis.
Instead of asking for something, the O'Donnells had the idea to give something
Brian said his three sons constantly watch YouTube videos of Giannis and were aware that he'd occasionally dole out game-worn shoes to fans. They'd also grown fond of his dad jokes.
"They were making a sign in Greek to ask for his shoes," Brian said. "My oldest son, Brady, said, 'Wouldn't it be cool, instead of asking for stuff from the NBA players, what if we got something to give to him?'"
With the dad jokes in mind, Brian decided to order "Dad Jokes" on Amazon and bring it on the trip, just in case they crossed paths with the star player. Each of the three boys inscribed a brief note on the inside cover.
"They carried it with them around for a couple days there (in Minneapolis), just in case they ran into him," Brian said.
Then, they got their chance. Brian said Giannis motioned toward the boys and allowed for a picture near the lobby. The moment passed rapidly; Brian said he didn't have a chance to offer much of an explanation behind the book when they passed it off to him.
"It was a quick, 10-second interaction, but how many people can say they're even lucky enough to get a picture?" Brian said. "The boys were disappointed (he didn't play), but we still had a great time as a family.
"It may sound corny, but that's something we talked about. We still got to sit courtside for an NBA game, got to see Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton — we're also big Notre Dame fans — and getting to see them up close was pretty darn cool. We'll try again someday to get back to another game, but we were lucky enough to have an interaction with him."
There was no telling what would happen with the book, of course. And then, 10 days later, it resurfaced.
'Dad Jokes' reappears after 76ers game
The boys were asleep during the 76ers postgame, but Brian thinks his sons have seen the YouTube clip of Giannis telling the ground beef joke, followed by his laughter, 100 times since.
"I told my wife, that's the book the boys gave Giannis,'" Brian said. "Not only did Giannis keep the book, he's using it."
His youngest son, Luke, reported that none of his friends at school believe the story that the O'Donnells gave Giannis that book.
"I can understand why they wouldn't," Brian said. "He could have gotten that from anywhere. A couple talk shows ... they're like, 'Giannis is bringing his own Dad Joke book now; he's really stepping up his game.' It was one of those surreal things."
Brian said his kids were glued to the postgame for Milwaukee's game two nights later against Brooklyn — and the boys were crestfallen that even though Giannis told another dad joke, the book wasn't present.
"But he's still telling the jokes!" Brian said.
Brian, a former high school principal who now runs his family's delivery business, said he and Brady talk a lot about Game 7 against the Nets and their time in the hospital.
"Everything (with surgery) went really well, but it had been a pretty rough weekend and was a really scary time," he said. "We're watching and rooting on the Bucks, and it's one of those moments that you'll take with you forever. The Bucks won, so it was nice to see him have some joy. Over the next three weeks, we really started rooting and watching intently."
The Bucks, of course, went on to win the NBA championship. Brian made a promise to Brady that they'd find a date on the schedule when they could catch the Bucks in person during the 2021-22 season.
They didn't get to see their guy play, but they got a story to tell forever.
"I just want to say thank you to Giannis; a simple gesture to him turned into a huge thing for my boys that they've talked about nonstop," he said, "They've called their grandparents, aunts and uncles and told all their friends at school." | 2022-04-06T17:33:46Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dad jokes book gift from Iowa family | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/06/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-dad-jokes-book-gift-from-cedar-rapids-iowa-family/9473275002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/06/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-dad-jokes-book-gift-from-cedar-rapids-iowa-family/9473275002/ |
Yuriko Schumacher Alison Dirr Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Cavalier Johnson on Tuesday became Milwaukee’s first elected Black mayor — a milestone that comes years or decades later than many American cities.
That includes Cleveland, where more than five decades ago Carl Stokes became the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected in 1967.
Of course, Johnson was not the first Black Milwaukeean to run for the top political post in Wisconsin’s largest city. There have been others, including in the 2004 primary in which Marvin Pratt, the city’s first Black acting mayor, came in first only to lose to Tom Barrett in the general election a few months later.
Johnson became acting mayor in December when Barrett departed after nearly 18 years in office to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
His election Tuesday marked a turning point for Milwaukee and put it more in line with similar cities across the nation that elected Black mayors decades ago.
Of the 50 most populous U.S. cities, Milwaukee had the eighth-highest share of Black residents in 2020. Every other city in the top 10 had elected a Black mayor at least 10 years ago.
The chart below shows major U.S. cities and their Black mayors. Hover over the photos of the mayors to see the details.
The 50 largest U.S. cities and Cleveland, sorted by Black population percentage
Milwaukee ranks 8th.
Sort by total population
Note: Cleveland was not part of 50 largest cities in 2020, but it was when Carl Stokes became the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city.
Data sources: U.S. census, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel research | 2022-04-06T19:30:45Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee elects first Black mayor decades after similar cities | https://www.jsonline.com/in-depth/news/politics/2022/04/06/milwaukee-elects-first-black-mayor-decades-after-similar-cities/9470604002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/in-depth/news/politics/2022/04/06/milwaukee-elects-first-black-mayor-decades-after-similar-cities/9470604002/ |
Whitney Mercilus, a pass rusher who signed with the Green Bay Packers during the 2021 season and briefly brought some thump to the defense before injury, announced he was retiring after 10 NFL seasons with an Instagram post that featured his family, memorabilia from his career and some mouth-watering offerings on the grill.
It's tailgate season, after all.
"We've got some delicious stuff that's going to be put on this grill," Mercilus said in the video. "It's the first of many (grilling sessions) that's going to be on Sundays. If you can't already tell by that, I've decided I'm hanging up the cleats and I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my life."
Mercilus played in four regular-season games before suffering a torn bicep that was believed to be a season-ending injury, though he was able to return in time for the Packers' playoff loss to San Francisco. He made an impact in his limited work, as you can see in the video with the two game balls he secured for wins over Seattle and Arizona.
Mercilus, who played the bulk of his career with the Houston Texans, finished with a sack and five tackles last season. Houston released the former second-team All-Pro in October.
"What really means a lot to me is spending more quality time with family," adding that he also wants to continue his work with his "WithMerci" organization that supports Houston-area families who have children with special needs. "Don't be sad. I'm happy. You should be happy. We should all be wearing a smile as well, too. 'No Merci' doesn't just stop on the field, but it also happens off the field, too." | 2022-04-06T19:31:15Z | www.jsonline.com | Green Bay Packers' Whitney Mercilus announces retirement | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2022/04/06/green-bay-packers-whitney-mercilus-announces-retirement/9486793002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2022/04/06/green-bay-packers-whitney-mercilus-announces-retirement/9486793002/ |
Voters in the Muskego-Norway School District pass a two-question facilities referendum totaling $44.6 million
Voters in the Muskego-Norway School District on April 5 approved a two-question facilities referendum that totaled $44.6 million.
The first question asked voters whether they would approve $27.8 million for the construction of an addition for technical education, science, technology, engineering and math areas and renovations at Muskego High School, as well as the construction of an addition and renovations for a gym and converting the current gym into a cafeteria at Lakeview Elementary School. Voters approved that question with 3,733 votes (61.3%) while 2,355 (38.7%) voted no.
The second question asked voters whether they would approve $16.8 million for the construction of additions for the medicine and health sciences areas, as well as an indoor practice facility, which would be open to the public, and renovations at Muskego High School. Voters also approved that question with 3,348 votes (55.2%) while 2,270 (44.8%) voted no.
The Muskego-Norway School District said the tax impact of the referendum will not increase over the district's 2021-22 tax rate of $7.15 per $1,000 of property value.
"Due to careful planning and the prepayment of prior debt to reduce interest expenses, if one or both referendum questions are approved, the tax mill rate would not increase over the current level," the district said in an informational brochure. "The total debt obligations of these projects, if passed, could extend debt payments an additional 3-8 years depending on final debt structure."
For example, a resident with a home worth $401,300 would pay a total school tax of $2,329.
The district said the referendum was needed to address decades-old classrooms, space and scheduling constraints and limitations on the kinds of courses that can be offered. | 2022-04-06T23:12:32Z | www.jsonline.com | Muskego-Norway voters pass schools referendum in 2022 spring election | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/muskego/2022/04/06/muskego-norway-schools-voters-pass-referendum-2022-spring-election/9483720002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/muskego/2022/04/06/muskego-norway-schools-voters-pass-referendum-2022-spring-election/9483720002/ |
MADISON – Members of the University of Wisconsin athletic department – from administrators to coaches – routinely tout the school’s academic standing as a selling point for recruits and a source of pride.
UW officials plan to back up their words with action.
UW is among only 22 FBS schools currently with plans to compensate student-athletes for academic achievement.
In the wake of a ruling by a federal judge in the Alston case, the NCAA in August 2020 declared schools could pay student-athletes a maximum of $5,980 per year based on academic achievement.
According to ESPN.com, UW is currently the only Big Ten school among the 22.
“We’re in the process of formulating our approach,” UW athletic director Chris McIntosh said Wednesday after a meeting of the Finance, Facilities & Operations committee. “I would anticipate later this spring we will announce with some specificity what we’re going to do.”
Why did UW choose to get involved?
“I think for us, it is an opportunity for us to reward what has been a long-standing commitment to academics,” McIntosh said. “It is something that we’re supportive of and we think it will be a great opportunity for our student-athletes.”
Progress made on south end zone renovation
The renovation of the south end zone at Camp Randall Stadium is ahead of schedule. The bleacher seating, which had a maximum capacity of about 7,000 fans, has been removed. Premium seating options, with a capacity of about 2,400 will be installed.
The project is to be completed before the Sept. 3 opener against Illinois State.
“As of last week, we’re starting to hang drywall in some of the club spaces,” Jason King, senior associate athletic director for capital projects, told the committee. “That should give you an idea of where we’re at.
“Right now, the weather still plays a factor in what we’re able to get completed. There will be a point in the near future where it will have much less of an impact. The winter was great and it allowed us to be at this point a little bit ahead of schedule.”
Adam Barnes, associate athletic director and chief financial officer for business operations, briefed the committee on ticket sales.
According to Barnes, all loge boxes and ledge seats have been sold and more than 80% of the spaces on the club level have been sold. UW officials recently started selling seats on the patio, which is the top level, and about 50% of those seats have been sold.
“They’re going really well,” Barnes said. “I would say that the pace is picking up and it won’t be long and there will be very limited inventory left.” | 2022-04-06T23:12:44Z | www.jsonline.com | Wisconsin to compensate student-athletes for academic achievement | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/06/wisconsin-compensate-student-athletes-academic-achievement/9488835002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/04/06/wisconsin-compensate-student-athletes-academic-achievement/9488835002/ |
A source confirmed that Tucker Sparks, whose younger brother, Jackson, was among those killed in the Waukesha Christmas parade, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 14.
Milwaukee opens its season in Chicago on Thursday and then kicks off the home slate at American Family Field a week later.
Jackson, 8, and Tucker, 12, of Mukwonago, were both struck by an SUV while walking in the Nov. 21 parade with their Waukesha Blazers baseball team. Five adults were also killed and more than 60 injured by the SUV plowing through the route.
Darrell E. Brooks, 40, stands accused of six homicide counts and more than 70 additional charges. His trial will begin in October.
Tucker, a sixth grader at Clarendon Avenue Elementary, suffered a fractured skull and road rash in the incident, requiring hospitalization at Children's Wisconsin in the intensive care unit. Jackson, a third grader, died from his injuries two days later. Sixteen children, ages 3 to 16, were injured in the incident.
Children across Wisconsin and beyond were encouraged to wear baseball jerseys in Jackson's honor the following week. A Georgia baseball-bat manufacturer made custom bats in his honor.
First pitch for the home opener April 14 is slated for 4:14 p.m. CT to coincide with a "414 Day" celebration acknowledging the Milwaukee area code.
More:'We are family': Three months after Waukesha parade tragedy, the injured and traumatized lean on each other as they move forward | 2022-04-07T00:56:52Z | www.jsonline.com | Tucker Sparks, injured in Waukesha parade to throw Brewers first pitch | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/06/tucker-sparks-injured-waukesha-parade-throw-brewers-first-pitch/9491637002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/06/tucker-sparks-injured-waukesha-parade-throw-brewers-first-pitch/9491637002/ |
2022 Milwaukee Film Festival lineup: Highlights include Javier Bardem, Alexei Navalny and a Pez smuggler
Judging from the lineup, the Milwaukee Film Festival is just about back to normal for 2022.
The 14th annual Milwaukee Film Festival, which runs April 21 to May 5, sports a familiar mix of arthouse movies that haven't made it to Milwaukee screens; documentaries and foreign-language films generating buzz on the festival circuit; and Wisconsin-made feature films and shorts finally getting their due — all showing in theaters in in-person screenings for the first time since 2019.
But the 2022 festival isn't leaving the pandemic's ways behind altogether.
The in-person screenings, of 134 feature films and 18 short film programs at the Oriental Theatre, the Avalon Theater and the Times Cinema, will be accompanied by a virtual component: 69 of the feature films and all of the shorts programs also will be available online, via the nonprofit's digital portal (watch.mkefilm.org).
After two years of online-only festivals, fest-goers were interested in having the option. The virtual lineup covers more than half of the festival's offerings; it's limited because of screening restrictions by the movies' distributors, according to Cara Ogburn, artistic director of Milwaukee Film, which operates the Oriental and the film festival.
Film festival lineup released
The festival's complete schedule was posted on Milwaukee Film's website (mkefilm.org/mff) for the festival Thursday.
The film festival's opening-night movie checks a number of those boxes. "The Pez Outlaw," which was a hit at the SXSW Film Festival last month, tells the story of a Michigan man who went to Europe to acquire and smuggle out limited-edition Pez dispensers and found himself in the middle of international intrigue, collectibles mania and a war with the Pez company. It's showing at 6:30 p.m. April 21 at the Oriental; tickets, which include admission to the festival's opening-night party, are $25, $20 for Milwaukee Film members. (It's also showing at the Oriental April 22; it won't be available virtually.)
The festival's centerpiece film is "Navalny," a documentary portrait/thriller of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (showing April 29 at the Oriental); the closing-night film is "Petite Maman," the latest from French filmmaker Céline Sciamma ("Portrait of a Lady on Fire").
"Petite Maman" is one of several titles with star power that haven't made it to the big screen in Milwaukee. Others include:
"Memoria," a by-all-accounts hypnotic drama by award-winning director Apichatpong Weerasethakul starring Tilda Swinton;
"The Good Boss," a Spanish satire with Javier Bardem as a factory owner obsessed with winning a local business award;
And "You Are Not My Mother," a horror-thriller about a woman in Ireland who, after her mother reappears after mysteriously vanishing, suspects she's not who she seems to be.
Movies with Wisconsin accents
Movies at the film festival with a Wisconsin accent include:
"The Exchange. In White America. Kaukauna & King 50 Years Later," Milwaukee broadcasting veteran Joanne Williams' looks at a 1966 exchange program between Milwaukee's Rufus King High School and Kaukauna High School in the Fox Valley, and brings back the original participants today to reflect on the experience;
"Messwood," a documentary following a season in the life of the Shorewood-Messmer high school football program by Emily Kuester and Brad Lichtenstein;
And "The Milwaukee Project," which follows a diverse group of teenagers involved in an art and photography project over a number of years.
All three of those Wisconsin-flavored movies are also available in the Milwaukee Film Festival's virtual program. Unlike the screenings in theaters, the virtual showings in the festival are available only through an online-only pass. A pass covering all of the online offerings costs $200, $125 for Milwaukee Film members. There are no individual-movie tickets available for the virtual program.
Individual tickets for most in-person screenings are $14; $13 for seniors 60 and older, students and members of the military; $11 for Milwaukee Film members; and $8 for kids 12 and younger. Members can also buy an all-access pass, covering all in-person and virtual screenings, for $500.
More:Milwaukee's Times Cinema will reopen April 8 with a new programming format, two years after closing for the pandemic
More:'Everything Everywhere All At Once,' 'Ambulance,' 'Sonic 2' are among the new movies opening in Milwaukee this weekend | 2022-04-07T12:23:53Z | www.jsonline.com | 2022 Milwaukee Film Festival to be a hybrid format, lineup released | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/04/07/2022-milwaukee-film-festival-hybrid-format-lineup-released/7207047001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/04/07/2022-milwaukee-film-festival-hybrid-format-lineup-released/7207047001/ |
Fork. Spoon. Life. Alexa Faia
As of April 1, brunch is served daily at Tre Rivali at the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, where executive chef Brian Cripps just launched a new menu.
One highlight of the menu also happens to be one of Tre Rivali’s most popular dishes, ravioli with “Nona’s Sunday Gravy,” which comes directly from chef de cuisine Alexa Faia’s Italian grandmother and her family’s Sunday suppers.
Just like when Nona would make the sauce, it is a collaborative effort. Everyone in the restaurant kitchen who walks by must stir the pot, ensuring everyone has a part in the meal.
Faia, who now lives in Riverwest, brings another of her family’s Italian traditions to the menu this month: Easter pie. It’s a traditional Northern Italian specialty, also known as pizza rustica. Faia has never had an Easter without this dish.
During her first Easter at Tre Rivali on April 17, she’s sharing family recipes for Easter pie and Easter Bonnet Soup (tortellini) with Milwaukee diners.
Family food roots
I grew up in a large Italian American family, everybody lived very close to each other. We were all so busy, different ages, different athletics and activities. Sunday everybody came together and went to my grandmother’s house and we’d eat together.
My grandmother, my aunts and my mom would make this spread. Ninety-five percent of the time it was pasta. That was something special to all of us. That’s how I started to love food, it brought us together.
Her culinary path
My immediate family left the Boston area when I was 20, moved to Illinois outside Chicago. I went to Nebraska for college. I was on track to go to medical school. That was the plan.
I was coming up on the end of my sophomore year, and it just wasn’t what I felt my life was supposed to be. When I was growing up and cooking with my mom and grandma I always said I wanted to be a chef. It was more of a pipe dream. As I got older, that stopped becoming something I thought about. I was thinking about a more realistic job. My mom was a nurse, and I had that interest.
But I started not feeling that was my true path. I got drawn back to cooking. I started making Sunday dinners for my roommates. That is what drove me to take this huge leap of faith and completely switch my life path. It was genuinely the best decision I’ve ever made.
I was three days into culinary school at the Art Institute of Chicago. I volunteered for a competition. That was how I landed my first job in the industry.
Competing and cooking
Cory Morris was competing, and I was on his team. He won, and I guess he thought I did a good job. He let me stage at Boleo in The Gray.
Kimpton was my first experience with the industry. I’ve been with the company on and off now for four years. I was there for a year, then went to work for Rick Bayless.
Moving to Milwaukee
Eventually, Kimpton asked me to come back. The Gray is a place that completely changed my life, so I have a sentimental attachment. I wanted to go back at some point. It seemed like a good opportunity.
Then the world shut down and our entire food and beverage department there got laid off. They asked me to come to Journeyman to help out here. I was originally supposed to be here for a little bit. I fell in love with the property and the restaurant.
Tre is a combination of everything I have done, from personal to professional experience. They offered me the chef de cuisine role, and now I’m a Milwaukeean.
Nona’s Sunday Gravy
It is a red sauce. Tre, because our concept is modern Mediterranean, it gives us such a wide range of influence to pull from, and one of those is Italy. That’s all the food I ate growing up. It was the perfect opportunity to pull in that influence …
This sauce is something I had every Sunday. It has been such a staple in my life. When I was taught to make it, it was something I knew I wanted to bring in at some point. My executive chef Brian Cripps has been really supportive. It is really cool to see my mom and my grandma’s influence loved by people in Milwaukee.
In her home kitchen
When I moved here, truth be told, the sauce was the first thing I made here. I made sausage and peppers.
Best advice about cooking and kitchens
Take the stairs, not the elevator. Genuinely, that one was really important. I’m 25. My career has been so abnormal at the rate I’ve grown and climbed the ladder.
I have been trying to constantly look for the next thing to keep progressing. My first boss saw that and told me slow down. If you want to be the best you can be, live up to the potential you have, slow down and do not try to skip some of the major foundational building blocks.
Cookbook worth keeping
I really love “The Flavor Bible.” I’m still relatively new to the industry. I was gifted The Flavor Bible by my first bosses at The Kimpton. I actually have it in my office here. It has been a game changer.
Seasonal specials
At Tre, we’re doing two specials for Easter. One is my family’s traditional Easter Bonnet Soup, which is tortellini. It looks like bonnets. Then pizza rustica, which is Easter pie.
Easter has always been my favorite because of the food. I have never gone a single Easter without eating those two things, so to share those is exciting.
Most memorable meal
The day I met Daniel Boulud at Rick Bayless’ James Beard afterparty, which he hosts every year after the ceremony. It also often falls on his daughter Lanie’s birthday, so it was also her birthday party.
Cooking for all these amazing chefs in Chicago while watching mariachi bands stand on the tables and play, it was a wild night. That’s one that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. | 2022-04-07T12:24:05Z | www.jsonline.com | Tre Rivali chef de cuisine creates family specialties like Easter pie | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/fork-spoon-life/2022/04/07/tre-rivali-chef-de-cuisine-creates-family-specialties-like-easter-pie/7269674001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/food/fork-spoon-life/2022/04/07/tre-rivali-chef-de-cuisine-creates-family-specialties-like-easter-pie/7269674001/ |
Legal Action of Wisconsin's Eviction Defense Project, which has helped thousands of tenants facing eviction since it began, is a model for the country, according to a national report examining innovative volunteer eviction defense programs.
The report highlighted the Eviction Defense Project, along with four other programs across the country, as blueprints for volunteer legal services intended to help tenants access free legal services, whether it be for representation in court or sealing eviction filings from their tenant record.
One unique part of the program is that it has an office in the courthouse, which allows tenants to walk in and obtain same-day legal representation in court.
Raphael Ramos, the project's director, said members of the team are honored by the recognition. "Historically, it has always been difficult to involve volunteers in eviction-related work, so the Eviction Defense Project was particularly gratifying because we were able to create a system that seemed to resonate with the pro-bono community and volunteers,” he said.
The project has seen more than a hundred volunteer attorneys take part and has an estimated 40 to 50 at any one time on the roster. Legal Action coordinates it with just a staff of three people: two attorneys and one paralegal.
Residents of Milwaukee and Dane counties are eligible for the project's services, and since the program began, the number of residents at eviction hearings receiving representation in court has gone from less than 1% to nearly 5%, according to the Legal Services Corporation.
Ramos noted the project helped an average of 750 clients pre-pandemic and roughly half that since virtual court hearings began.
“Even though the number is relatively small from a percentage perspective, the actual quantity of people is really significant,” he explained. “The impact of the work is multifold in that we have not just helped tenants who are our clients, the demonstration of legal efficiency has helped pave the way to things like right to counsel.”
RELATED:Milwaukee County has established a Right to Counsel program. Here's why advocates say it could reduce evictions
RELATED:EvictionFreeMKE.org offers free legal help to those on verge of losing their rented homes
In July 2021, County Executive David Crowley announced the city of Milwaukee would provide low-income renters with free legal representation ahead of their eviction proceedings through the tool, EvictionMKE.
Ramos said the Eviction Defense Project, which he described as instrumental in proving that legal representation leads to better outcomes for tenants, is a great complement to the tool.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee surveyed residents who used the project's services and found that 90% said their evictions were dismissed.
Legal Action launched its project in 2017, partially in response to revelations from Matthew Desmond’s book, “Evicted.” The book highlighted the shortcomings of evictions — in that landlords often fail to receive unpaid rent — and the damage done to tenants, who often struggle to find safe and stable housing with even an eviction filing on their record.
The project includes a pro-bono collaboration with Quarles & Brady LLP, the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Marquette University Law School, the Milwaukee Justice Center, von Briesen & Roper s.c and the Milwaukee County Court.
According to the report, projects like this help close what is sometimes referred to as a “justice gap,” defined by low-income residents’ struggle to access legal representation in civil cases.
The project's volunteer-based nature lends to its sustainability. Most of its funding goes toward the three staff members who recruit, coordinate, support and mentor volunteers.
Ramos lauded the volunteer attorneys who have made the project what it is.
“(This) work is being done by volunteer attorneys who set aside time in their schedules to help people who need it, and they’ve been doing an outstanding job,” he said.
“We are always looking for new volunteers. We’re always looking to grow our roster. The more volunteers we have, the more we can provide people housing stability.”
If you are an attorney or law student interested in volunteering with the Eviction Defense Project, please reach out to Raphael Ramos at rfr@legalaction.org. | 2022-04-07T12:24:29Z | www.jsonline.com | Eviction Defense Project earns national recognition for pro-bono work | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/eviction-defense-project-earns-national-recognition-pro-bono-work-legal-action-wisconsin/9482403002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/eviction-defense-project-earns-national-recognition-pro-bono-work-legal-action-wisconsin/9482403002/ |
Johnson on Tuesday beat former Ald. Bob Donovan, with 71.5% of the vote to Donovan's 28%, according to unofficial results from the city Election Commission.
At 35 years old, Johnson not only became the first elected Black mayor of Milwaukee but also the first millennial to take the city's helm. He joins Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson, whose elections in 2020 along with Johnson's to the Common Council presidency, ushered in a generational shift in leadership. | 2022-04-07T12:24:41Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee reacts to first elected Black Mayor Cavalier Johnson | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/milwaukee-reacts-first-elected-black-mayor-cavalier-johnson/7243924001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/milwaukee-reacts-first-elected-black-mayor-cavalier-johnson/7243924001/ |
Get to know the announcers calling Brewers baseball games during the 2022 season on TV and radio
The group of announcers bringing Milwaukee Brewers baseball to the masses this year includes a number of familiar faces and voices. Here are the names to know:
Bob Uecker, radio
The man needs no introduction. He's 88 years old but still going strong in his 52nd year as a Brewers broadcaster, calling home games for WTMJ-AM (620). Though he's undergone a number of health scares in recent years, he remains the beating heart of Brewers baseball to generations of fans, known for his endless supply of humor, often self-deprecating. For those who are somehow uninitiated, just remember that he was never as bad of a big-league catcher as he'll let you to believe. The man has two statues in his honor at American Family Field, a place on the franchise's Walk of Fame and a commemorative "50" on the façade alongside the organization's retired numbers to mark his 50 years of broadcasting. It's not summer until we hear, "Get up, get up, get outta here, gone."
More:These are the 20 all-time icons in Wisconsin sports history
Brian Anderson, TV
Since 2007, the native of Texas has been a staple of Brewers broadcasts, authoring some memorable moments in the franchise's rise to perennial contender. He's also a fixture on national broadcasts for Turner sports, including high-profile NBA and MLB games on TBS and TNT, major golf events and the men's basketball NCAA Tournament. With all that in mind, he's cutting back to roughly 50 broadcasts this season, though he lives in the Milwaukee area and insists he has no intention of completely walking away from his gig with the Brewers.
Bill Schroeder, TV
"Rock" has been a fixture in the organization for decades, with 28 years in the booth, not to mention his seasons as a Brewers player from 1983-88. He's also coordinator of the franchise's annual fantasy camp, and only Uecker has broadcast more Brewers games in club history. You'll forgive him if he occasionally mentions 1987, when he posted a career year at the plate and also caught the first no-hitter in franchise history, authored by Juan Nieves during the 13-game winning streak that kicked off the "Team Streak" season.
Jeff Levering, TV and radio
It's Levering's eighth season calling Brewers games, but this year he'll be more prominently featured on TV than on radio. He's sliding over a booth with play-by-play announcer Anderson less available, and fans can expect to see him paired with Schroeder for 100 to 110 broadcasts. Before Milwaukee, Levering worked for the Boston Red Sox's Class AAA club in Pawtucket, and he's a former baseball player for Division III national champion Chapman University in Orange, California. When Anderson is back in house, Levering will return to radio broadcasts alongside Uecker at home and Lane Grindle on the road.
Sophia Minnaert, TV
It'll be her 10th year as the sideline reporter for the TV broadcasts and fifth year working with digital features content. The Madison native graduated from Edgewood High School and attended Marquette University, where her degrees included Spanish language and literature. That's been put to good use on broadcasts, where she seamlessly conducts bilingual interviews.
Lane Grindle, radio
You'll hear more from Grindle in his seventh year with the club now that Levering will spend more time on the TV broadcast. Grindle will work alongside Uecker on home broadcasts when Levering is on the TV call and will also work road games, either with Levering or newcomer Josh Maurer. Formerly an announcer at the University of Nebraska, Grindle hails originally from Iowa and graduated from South Dakota.
Josh Maurer
The new kid on the block was hired in February, and like Levering most recently worked as the Class AAA broadcaster for the Red Sox organization. He'll call games with Grindle on the road when Levering is in the TV booth. He's originally from Philadelphia and has done radio work on the East Coast.
Studio hosts
Don't forget about the Bally Sports Wisconsin studio hosts who will provide coverage for Brewers pregame and postgame shows. They include:
Craig Coshun. Entering his 22nd season, the native of suburban Milwaukee has occasionally worked traditional play-by-play in the TV booth, as well.
Dario Melendez. In his fifth season, Melendez has worked in TV in both his native Florida and Milwaukee, where he's also appeared on Bucks pregame and postgame broadcasts. He'll only be in this spot until April 18, however, at which point he'll step away to focus on his new full-time gig as WISN (Channel 12) sports director.
Tim Dillard. The former Brewers minor- and major-leaguer has developed a social media following thanks to his comedic sensibilities, and enters his second year in his role on the broadcasts. He may also occasionally fill in as color commentator when Schroeder is unavailable for TV broadcasts.
Vinny Rottino. The Racine native who briefly played in the big leagues with the Brewers (including a memorable walk-off hit on the penultimate day of the 2007 season) also enters his second season on broadcasts. | 2022-04-07T12:24:47Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Brewers baseball announcers for TV and radio in 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/milwaukee-brewers-baseball-announcers-tv-and-radio-2022-bob-uecker-brian-anderson-bill-schroeder/7246312001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/milwaukee-brewers-baseball-announcers-tv-and-radio-2022-bob-uecker-brian-anderson-bill-schroeder/7246312001/ |
Since 1977, the Delta Memorial Endowment Fund's Literary Luncheon has hosted a leading Black writer in Milwaukee, including such notables as Maya Angelou, Alice Walker and Jason Reynolds, to raise funds for college scholarships and support charitable organizations.
The fund was started by the Milwaukee alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
The 2022 speaker is Wisconsin and Milwaukee poet laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton, who is also author of the novel "Almost Crimson." The luncheon takes place at noon April 23 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test is required. Masks are required.
MORE:Dasha Kelly Hamilton plans a tasty conversation about race, class and equity in 'Makin' Cake'
For your reading pleasure, here's a selected list of works by Black writers who have visited Milwaukee to speak at the Delta luncheon:
Maya Angelou (1977): "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," published in 1969, was the first in what would become seven autobiographical volumes by the poet and activist, describing how she overcame the racism and violence she experienced as a child.
David Bradley (1982): In his 1981 novel "The Chaneysville Incident," a young Black historian investigates both his father's death and the long-ago deaths of a dozen escaped slaves.
Alice Walker (1983): Her epistolary novel "The Color Purple" (1982) about Celie's struggle for love and autonomy won both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and was adapted into a movie and a musical.
Paule Marshall (1984): Her novel "Brown Girl, Brownstones" (1959) is a coming-of-age story about a girl growing up in a community of Barbadian immigrants in Brooklyn.
Wallace Terry (1985): "Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans" collects the stories of 20 Black men who served in the conflict.
Octavia E. Butler (1988): In the MacArthur "genius" grant winner's novel "Wild Seed" (1980), a man who can jump from body to body and a nearly immortal, shape-changing woman contend with each other through the centuries.
Connie Porter (1992): Porter wrote the children's novels in American Girl's Addy series, about a girl who escapes plantation slavery with her mother for a new life in Philadelphia. The series starts with "Meet Addy" (1993).
Tananarive Due (2002): Due began her career as a leading horror and speculative fiction writer with "The Between" (1995), a novel about a Black couple who appear to be caught between dangerous realities.
Pearl Cleage (2009): Her novel "What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day" (1997), which was an Oprah Book Club selection, follows several months in the life of a young Black woman after she is diagnosed HIV-positive.
Tayari Jones (2013): Her novel "Silver Sparrow" (2011) is the story of two daughters of a bigamist father, growing up in separate households.
Jason Reynolds (2016): In Reynolds' young-adult novel "The Boy in the Black Suit" (2015), a teenager grieving the loss of his mother finds unexpected solace working in a funeral home.
Attica Locke (2017): In her mystery novel "Bluebird, Bluebird" (2017), a Black Texas Ranger investigates a double murder in a challenging and racially charged town. | 2022-04-07T15:22:03Z | www.jsonline.com | Delta Memorial Endowment Fund brings top Black writers to Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/04/07/delta-memorial-endowment-fund-brings-top-black-writers-milwaukee-dasha-kelly-hamilton-maya-angelou/7140591001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/04/07/delta-memorial-endowment-fund-brings-top-black-writers-milwaukee-dasha-kelly-hamilton-maya-angelou/7140591001/ |
There is strong support among Milwaukee residents for a return to the electric scooter experience.
The Milwaukee Department of Public Works released its report on last year's electric scooter pilot program Thursday, and it showed more than 70% of survey respondents want to see scooters return to Milwaukee's streets.
The report gives residents a glimpse into some of the public feedback and data from the city’s second pilot program. The city also held a pilot program in 2019 and last year’s program was instituted to “gather more information.”
The DPW asked for public feedback via a survey and received more than 5,400 respondents. More than half of the respondents had taken at least one scooter trip.
The biggest concern for people who had never ridden a scooter, according to the survey, is people riding them on the sidewalk.
Following the 2019 Pilot Study, the common council amended an ordinance that banned riding the scooters on public sidewalks.
The common council then required the DPW to institute some measures for the 2021 Pilot Study. Under the plan, DPW had to conduct observations of intersections to determine the percentage of scooter riders using the sidewalk.
If the percentage of an operator’s scooter riders using the sidewalk was greater than 10% while in a zone, the operator could no longer deploy scooters or allow new trips in that zone.
Because the percentage was well above 10% downtown (Zone 1), the DPW decided to pause rides downtown on Aug. 3.
Scooter operator Bird responded by implementing technology that slowly reduced the scooter’s speed until it came to a complete stop for riders on the sidewalk. Lime sent push notifications to riders who were on the sidewalk and Spin instituted alerts.
Scooter vs motor vehicle crashes are also a concern of residents. The Milwaukee Police Department reported 15 scooter/motor vehicle crashes in 2021. Seven crashes were reported in 2019.
Others voiced concerns about where scooters are parked, some proposed better enforcement, a need for increased safety or helmets and for providing better roads for the scooters to ride on. Roughly 37% of respondents had a “somewhat” or “very” unfavorable opinion of scooters in Milwaukee.
Despite concerns, more than 58% of respondents had a “very” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of scooters. Riders found that scooters allowed them to ride places they would normally walk or drive. They also support having an alternative to taking a taxi, rideshare, or public transportation.
Further, riders said they like the benefits of riding to and from an event, restaurant, work, or school on the scooters. About 1 in 4 riders said they like riding for fun or recreation.
The DPW data found that riders averaged about 10 minutes per ride and went an average distance of 0.9 miles.
Data shows that ridership is at its low point in the morning and then gradually increases throughout the day, peaking at 7 p.m., before gradually decreasing again. DPW said 2019 data showed similar results.
More than 33% of riders started or ended a trip on the east side of Milwaukee. Roughly 19% of rides started or ended downtown.
The Zone 1 pause had a significant impact on ridership as total rides in August dropped by nearly 45% from July and continued to decrease in subsequent months.
It's unclear when the Public Works Committee will take up the issue. DPW said there are currently no scheduled meetings before the committee, but the committee is expected to take up the issue in the near future, as the summer months approach. | 2022-04-07T15:22:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Survey shows majority of residents want electric scooters to return | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/survey-shows-majority-residents-want-electric-scooters-return/9491149002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/survey-shows-majority-residents-want-electric-scooters-return/9491149002/ |
Editorial: Cavalier Johnson's election is a mark of progress for all of Milwaukee. But urgent challenges are just ahead.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Editorial Board
Cavalier Johnson is Milwaukee’s new mayor — its first elected Black mayor.
It’s more than a personal accomplishment for Johnson, it’s a mark of progress for the entire community.
And it’s another sign that power is shifting to a younger generation of leaders who better represent this diverse majority-minority city. The county executive, county board chair, police chief, sheriff — and now mayor — all are Black.
Johnson’s rapid rise from alderman to mayor is also the mark of a savvy politician who proved he could appeal across racial, income and geographic boundaries and was a prodigious fundraiser. He outspent his opponent, former Ald. Bob Donovan, four to one.
But it's clear to us that spending alone was not the main reason he won. He won because his message of inclusion and thoughtful governance was appealing.
More:Milwaukee was decades behind similar cities in electing a Black mayor
The new mayor’s to-do list is long and challenging and will test his considerable political skills. Many of Milwaukee’s biggest problems have roots that extend back decades and have long proven difficult to solve.
A history of racism
Years of housing discrimination combined with a slow hollowing out of the city’s industrial core and a poorly connected transportation network left thousands of Black and brown people segregated in impoverished enclaves on the near north and near south sides, their quality of life far lower, their lives far harder, their futures far dimmer than suburban neighbors just a few miles away.
Milwaukee’s racial disparities — from education to healthy food to income to health care — are its single biggest problem, and one that leaves those many thousands with little hope of reaching their dreams. When so many struggle, the community as a whole cannot reach its potential.
Though gun crimes, in particular, have been a tragic problem for years, there was a noticeable breakdown in social order since 2020, most evident in the sharp rise in homicides, car thefts and reckless driving, some of it the result of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit impoverished communities like a sledgehammer.
After two long years, COVID seems finally to be waning, but it left nearly 1,100 people dead in the city and thousands scarred. Black people make up about 39% of the population but 43% of COVID deaths in the city, according to the city Health Department. Vaccination rates for people of color continue to lag the white population.
The city’s public education system is failing far too many kids, and it sometimes seems beyond repair. The mayor does not have operational control of the schools — and we don’t advocate that he should — but he does have the ability to steer dollars to help Milwaukee’s kids in other ways and to use his platform to help put an end to years of insidious education wars that value politics over children.
The pension crisis
If nothing changes, the city’s annual contribution for pensioners will increase next year from about $71 million to about $130 million and the amount needed to fund the retirement system will remain high for years. Without a solution, budget cuts could force massive layoffs in the city’s workforce, putting even basic city services at risk, according to a report from the city’s Pension Task Force.
But amid the problems, a wealth of assets
But for all its problems, the city has many assets Johnson could draw on.
Milwaukee has a vibrant downtown — the Fiserv Forum and Deer District have quickly become nationally known thanks to the World Champion Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee landed the 2020 Democratic National Convention though it saw little impact when the convention became a virtual event during the pandemic. But it’s in the running to host the 2024 Republican National Convention — another sign that the city is on the radar nationally, which is a plus for business and talent recruitment.
The Third Ward and Walker’s Point are teeming with activity day and night, and the resurgent Bronzeville area is a reminder of what public-private investment, strong partnerships and a strategic focus can accomplish.
More:Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood makes New York Times list of places to visit this year
The city has long had strong, civic-minded business leaders who can help bend the curve of progress. This includes titans such as Northwestern Mutual, Manpower, the city's many financial services firms, and its health care systems. But small businesses and developers are perhaps even more important and have a bigger impact on neighborhood life. Business groups have a big role to play in solving problems, too, including the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Greater Milwaukee Committee.
The city also has nearly $200 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act that could be used to address some of its pressing budget needs, and more dollars coming its way from the federal infrastructure bill.
And it’s possible that Johnson may have some political breathing space — he won 72% of the vote, after all, according to the unofficial results, and ran strong citywide. He’ll need to work on his relationships with members of the Common Council, most of whom didn’t support his mayoral run, but they must know, as does Johnson, that none of the hardest problems can be solved through unilateral politics. It will take a team effort.
That includes state government.
For years, the Legislature has shorted Milwaukee when it comes to shared revenue and denied the city other ways to raise money directly from taxpayers. During the campaign, Johnson often said he would work to open a dialogue with state lawmakers, most of whom don’t share his politics. That dialogue will be critical, especially in solving the yawning pension gap.
But all of this lies in the future.
For now, it’s enough for Milwaukee to savor a moment. After 176 years, the city has a Black man as its top leader, a young man who grew up here, chose to stay here, who clearly loves his city and seems determined to lead it with a message of inclusion.
That’s a great start. We wish him well.
Editorials are a product of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin editorial board, which operates independently from the network's news departments. Email: jsedit@jrn.com
Why we write editorials. Meet the editorial board. | 2022-04-07T15:22:15Z | www.jsonline.com | Cavalier Johnson's election is a mark of progress for all of Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/04/07/cavalier-johnsons-election-mark-progress-all-milwaukee-black-mayor-african-american/9487653002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/04/07/cavalier-johnsons-election-mark-progress-all-milwaukee-black-mayor-african-american/9487653002/ |
For the first time since arriving in the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers are seen as the heavy favorite to win their division at the outset of the season. Though it's not unanimous, you'd be hard pressed to find prognosticators who see another team catching Milwaukee.
As far as getting to the World Series or winning a title? Most writers aren't ready to go that far.
Here's how national writers see Milwaukee's chances as we begin the 2022 baseball season.
Milwaukee slots into 10th in the power rankings penned by Michael Baumann.
"Last year before the playoffs, I predicted that the Brewers’ pitching staff would carry them to a title," he wrote. "Sure, the offense was uninspiring, but the Corbin Burnes–Brandon Woodruff–Freddy Peralta–Josh Hader many-headed monster proved to be one of the most effective run prevention units ever assembled. The Brewers wouldn’t have to score much because they could win every game 2-1.
"Turns out, two runs a game was more than this offense could eke out. The Braves held them to six runs in four NLDS games and shut them out twice. And while Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, and their confreres can beat up on a weak division and make it to October easily, it’s hard to forget how little they accomplished last fall. The pitching staff should be just as good as last year, and maybe even better if you’re high on young left-hander Aaron Ashby. But what did the Brewers add to the offense this winter?"
Baumann ranks the Padres, Giants, Dodgers, Braves and Mets ahead of Milwaukee.
In another preseason picks article, all of the Ringer staffers polled chose Milwaukee to win the Central, and one (Ben Lindbergh) felt Corbin Burnes would repeat as National League Cy Young.
Keith Law called Milwaukee "the most anonymous great team in baseball right now," and gave the Brewers a record of 91-71, eight games of the second-place ... Cubs!
"The Brewers are a run-prevention machine, with three incredible pitchers and outstanding defense, but their most famous player is a guy who hasn’t been good since fouling a ball off his own knee in September 2019," Law wrote. "Their depth chart listings for first base as I write this are a thing of unspeakable beauty: Rowdy Tellez, Keston Hiura, Mike Brosseau, Jace Peterson, Tyler White and Jonathan Singleton. It’s a glorious list of hasn’t-beens and a perfect indication of how the Brewers feel about paying for production at that position."
Grant Brisbee and Levi Weaver slot the Brewers seventh in their power rankings.
"The third-best team in the National League? Yeah, that’s about right, even if they didn’t do a whole lot to address a lineup that scored six runs in 35 innings against the Braves in the NLDS," they wrote. "Andrew McCutchen will help against left-handed pitching, as will Hunter Renfroe, who brings tremendous sell-out power, a skill that the Brewers appreciated more after Joc Pederson pushed them down an elevator shaft in the division series.
"But focusing on the lineup seems like a great way to overlook the pitching. Because holy cats, check this out. The Brewers have a quintet of pitchers who give them a chance to get into the seventh inning with a lead, and they have a gaggle of relievers behind them who should be able to hold that lead. It’s a quantity of quality — so much so that it’s hard to decide which pitcher you’d pilfer if you could take only one.
"They won’t be the 1977 Reds, but they could be the 2021 Brewers again, which seems like it’s good enough."
Milwaukee gets slotted seventh here, too, with a projection of 94 wins. Dave Schoenfeld offered a bold prediction that Freddy Peralta could win the ERA title.
Under "if everything goes right," he wrote, "It's time to end that World Series drought by riding the best rotation in the majors: Reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Adrian Houser and Eric Lauer. With rookie Aaron Ashby filling in, the Brewers again use a six-man rotation at times and it keeps everyone healthy. Christian Yelich, while not quite his old MVP self, is better and Keston Hiura is back pounding baseballs like he did as a rookie in 2019. The World Series drought ends with a huge celebration in Milwaukee."
Dalton Del Don expects the Brewers to win the Central, just like everyone else. Among his fearless predictions are Aaron Ashby joining the rotation after the all-star break and is a top-30 starter (in fantasy baseball, anyway) in the second half, while Andrew McCutchen racks up 100 RBIs.
CBS doesn't unanimously view the Brewers as the Central Division champion — Dayn Perry is the lone member of the five-writer panel who picked someone else, going with the Cardinals, and he doesn't even pick Milwaukee to reach the expanded 12-team playoffs.
Another of the panelists, Mike Axisa, picked the Brewers to win the World Series. Three others chose the Dodgers, and one chose the Blue Jays.
Seven writers were polled here, and five thought the Brewers would win the Central, with the Cardinals getting chosen by the other two. One writer, Nick Selbe, picked the Brewers to fall in the World Series.
Nick’s Take: "The Dodgers’ lineup is among the best we’ve seen in recent memory, but Milwaukee’s pitching staff has the top-end talent to neutralize it. The Brewers have plenty of firepower to win the pennant, especially if Christian Yelich can rediscover his old form. At present, the Dodgers’ rotation leaves a little to be desired, which is why I give the slightest of edges to the Brew Crew."
The site also places Milwaukee seventh in its power rankings, penned by Selbe and Will Laws.
"We’re optimistic about Christian Yelich’s chances of getting back to providing All-Star level production. The acquisition of Hunter Renfroe should help offset the loss of 2021 home run leader Avisaíl Garcia, but the Brewers would be wise to look for lineup upgrades if they’re to improve upon last year’s NLDS exit."
Again, Milwaukee is picked to win the division, though by only three games over the Cardinals.
"Milwaukee has made the playoffs four years in a row, a streak that should continue as the Cardinals didn't do much to close the gap," Jesse Yomtov wrote. "Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff are the main attractions, but the Brewers' rotation strength lies in the depth with Freddy Peralta, Adrian Houser and Eric Lauer."
PECOTA rankings
Over at Baseball Prospectus, the Brewers are projected to finish with 94 wins, more than 13 ahead of St. Louis for the top spot in the division.
Last year's rankings also liked the Brewers, anticipating that they'd win the division with 89 wins, four games ahead of the Cubs. Milwaukee recorded 95 wins, one shy of the franchise regular-season record and won the division by five games, though St. Louis came in second. | 2022-04-07T15:22:33Z | www.jsonline.com | National writers forecast how Milwaukee Brewers will fare in 2022 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/national-writers-forecast-how-milwaukee-brewers-fare-2022-nl-central-division-world-series-chances/9491687002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/national-writers-forecast-how-milwaukee-brewers-fare-2022-nl-central-division-world-series-chances/9491687002/ |
Wauwatosa turkeys are still gobbling up attention but experts say they'll likely be less visible next month
Months after three "aggressive turkeys" were captured and euthanized in Wauwatosa, some residents are still having regular run-ins with turkeys.
The birds have been seen chasing down delivery drivers and scaring TV news reporters in recent weeks. Some even made their way onto the interstate.
But experts say it's possible for humans and turkeys to peacefully coexist. And they'll likely be less visible in urban environments in the coming weeks and months.
"In May, turkeys will be either sitting on nests or more solitary in nature, and you shouldn't see groups of them," said Dan Hirchert, the state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS Wildlife Services.
It's not clear how many turkeys are in Wauwatosa now, but there have been no confirmed turkey attacks since the three turkeys were captured in February, according to Laura Stephens, Wauwatosa's health officer.
"We do not have plans to remove any more turkeys," Stephens said. "While this is an option in extreme circumstances, we will continue to work with residents to provide education for coexisting peacefully."
'In most cases, you're bigger than them'
Humans should not be afraid of turkeys, Hirchert said.
"In most cases, you're bigger than them," he said. "Keep that in mind."
But you should still avoid turkeys in public if you're able to. Don't go near them if you don't have to, Hirchert noted.
But try not to obviously avoid them, as turkeys can read body language.
"If you're skirting away from them, they know at that point they have the upper hand," Hirchert said.
"Just go about your business," he added.
You probably don't need to be worried if you're walking a dog, but be sure to keep its leash on. If you're walking a small dog and come near a turkey, you can simply pick it up or cross the street, Hirchert suggested.
If you encounter turkeys regularly, you could carry an umbrella. Opening it when turkeys get too close can help create a barrier between you and the bird.
"At least you have something between you if people are having them get that close," Hirchert said.
One of the easiest ways to keep turkeys away from you or your home is to not feed them and remove any food sources from your property.
Food resources for turkeys can include bird feeders, gardens, dog food left outside and more. Open, grassy areas are also something turkeys look for.
"That's typically the root of a lot of problems, is feed," Hirchert said.
But you'll likely be seeing fewer turkeys in the coming weeks as breeding season is in April.
"A lot of times they can get aggressive toward each other, because the males are often trying to establish dominance," Hirchert said about the breeding season.
But that won't be the case for long. Larger groups of turkeys should start to break up after breeding season, which occurs in April.
Is relocation an option?
In Wauwatosa, the city received a permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to remove aggressive turkeys from the city.
That occurred after the city received a report from Outpost about a confirmed attack on a person.
Nathan Holoubek, a wildlife biologist with the DNR, said that when the agency gets a complaint from a specific municipality, it determines how severe the issue is to see whether a removal permit is necessary.
"In the case of aggressive turkeys, if there's a health and human safety concern, we do consider that a very legitimate reason, and we work with the city to set up a good plan," Holoubek said.
The first step is "non-lethal mitigation," which can include removing food sources.
If there's a severe problem or a health and human safety concern, that's when a permit can be approved to remove the turkeys. Many permits have the option to euthanize or relocate the turkey.
For relocation, the city can pick a spot as close as possible to where the turkey was seen so its habitat is similar. That can help its survival chances, according to Holoubek.
In Wauwatosa, the three birds were euthanized and donated to a local food pantry.
"Because they had a very well established pattern of aggression toward humans, we considered both options, and they certainly could have been possibly relocated, but in my professional opinion, if they're attacking people and we move them to another location, they're going to continue to attack people in that new location as well," Holoubek said.
"The city did not have an adequate location within those parameters to release these birds without possibly creating another conflict for residents," Hirchert also said.
That choice was met with some criticism, as an online petition, which had nearly 800 signatures as of April 5, says the city of Wauwatosa violated its own policy after capturing and killing three "aggressive turkeys" earlier in the month.
A city spokesperson said the city has no such policy regarding turkeys or the removal of turkeys.
"Sign this petition to let the City of Wauwatosa, the Wauwatosa Health Department and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources know that their disregard of official city policy and abandonment of public trust resulting in the killing of innocent wildlife is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," says the petition at bit.ly/PetitionTosaTurkeys.
Here's why it's important not to feed wildlife human food, according to the U.S. Department of Natural Resources:
"Human food can lead to diseases in wildlife. Most human food does not meet nutritional needs of wildlife and can cause serious health problems.
"Animals have specialized diets. Because human food is nutrient deficient for wildlife, animals may become malnourished or die when fed human food.
"Human food can cause damage to animals. Animals do not distinguish packaging from food, and the packaging may be consumed resulting in abrasions, sickness and even death." | 2022-04-07T18:02:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Wild turkeys in Wauwatosa will be less visible starting in May | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/07/wild-turkeys-wauwatosa-less-visible-starting-may/7249888001/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/07/wild-turkeys-wauwatosa-less-visible-starting-may/7249888001/ |
Construction of a Franklin cheese processing facility that will provide up to 650 jobs is to begin soon after development site was sold.
Construction of a Franklin cheese processing facility that will provide up to 650 jobs is to begin soon after the development site was sold.
Saputo Cheese USA Inc. will build the $85 million million cheese production, packaging and distribution facility on a 34.5-acre parcel south of West Oakwood Road and west of South 27th Street.
Saputo Cheese, a subsidiary of global dairy processor Saputo Inc., just bought the site for $7.1 million from two investors groups affiliated with Chicago-based HSA Commercial Real Estate Inc.
That's according to state real estate records posted online Thursday.
Montreal-based Saputo Inc. expects to begin construction by June, according to a company statement provided to the Journal Sentinel.
"These timeframes may be adjusted based on contributing factors including weather, construction and supply chain issues," it said.
The Franklin Common Council in January voted to grant a special use permit for the 310,000-square-foot building.
Related:A large light industrial building is planned for a long-vacant site in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley
Related:Mount Pleasant officials hope to attract another company to the Foxconn site that they've spent millions to prepare
Along with the office workers, the Franklin building's employees will be slicing, grating and packaging cheese made at other Saputo facilities before it's distributed to retailers and other wholesale customers.
The plans, first disclosed in November, call for around 50 office workers and up to 600 production workers. It is to begin operating in 2023.
Saputo's U.S. operations include making mozzarella, ricotta, provolone, blue, parmesan, goat cheese and romano. Its brands include Saputo, Frigo and Stella.
Saputo is one of the world's 10 largest dairy processors, producing cheese, milk and other products. It is among the three largest cheese producers in the United States.
The company's operations include several production facilities throughout Wisconsin, as well as an office in Wauwatosa. | 2022-04-07T18:03:03Z | www.jsonline.com | Work to start on Saputo's Franklin cheese plant with up to 650 jobs | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/07/work-start-saputos-franklin-cheese-plant-up-650-jobs/9494845002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/07/work-start-saputos-franklin-cheese-plant-up-650-jobs/9494845002/ |
Milwaukee's drinking water remains below recommended standards for "forever chemicals" and compliant with requirements for lead, according to a report from the Milwaukee Water Works.
The agency released its annual consumer compliance report Thursday, showing very low levels of PFAS in its treated water, ranging from 0.7 parts per trillion to 2.3 parts per trillion, well below the number of 20 ppt recommended by the state Department of Natural Resources.
The city's water also remains below the lead action level, with testing in 2020 showing the city's levels of lead in drinking water to be below 5 parts per billion, well below the Environmental Protection Agency's rule of 15 ppb.
The Milwaukee Water Works provides water to 867,000 people across 16 communities within the area. The city's drinking water is taken from Lake Michigan, after which it goes through a nine-step treatment process before it flows out of the plant and into residents' homes.
The water system tests for PFAS once a year, typically in August, said communications specialist Brian Rothgery. The system started testing for the contaminant in 2008.
The report highlighted a number of other contaminants routinely tested for, such as bacteria, chlorine, nitrate and chloride, all of which were at levels below limits set by the state or federal governments.
“Reliably providing clean and safe water that is of the highest quality is our top priority,” said Public Works Commissioner Karen Dettmer. "We test for a wide range of potential contaminants and other substances — hundreds more than required — in order to promote public health and ensure that our customers can be confident in the quality of our water.”
More: Here's what you should know about PFAS, the 'forever contaminant' being identified in more locations across Wisconsin
While the levels of PFAS remain low in Lake Michigan, and therefore Milwaukee's drinking water, there are concerns about the chemicals leaching into the lake from contamination sites along its shores.
Last year, the Environmental Working Group sounded the alarm about PFAS stemming from the Air National Guard 128th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at General Mitchell airport. High levels of the compounds are present on the site because of the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam for years, and have migrated into private drinking wells just outside the airport's grounds.
More: 'Forever chemicals' from a military installation at Mitchell Airport are a risk to drinking wells, Lake Michigan
Water is also moving from the airport grounds into Lake Michigan, putting Milwaukee's source of fresh water at risk.
Lead a concern in Milwaukee
Lead has also been a concern for Milwaukee, with more than 70,000 lead laterals still remaining in the city, which can flake off into the water traveling into a home and poison children. Milwaukee is hoping to begin replacing a number of those laterals using funds from the recently passed federal infrastructure bill.
Lead is a neurotoxin, and lead-contaminated water has been linked to IQ deficits and conduct disorders in children. The younger a child is, the more they are harmed by lead poisoning, making pregnancy a crucial time for children developmentally. There is no "safe" limit for lead, doctors recommend that levels of lead in the blood remain below 5 micrograms per deciliter.
For more information about Milwaukee's drinking water, and to read the Consumer Report, visit milwaukee.gov. | 2022-04-07T18:03:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee drinking water shows very low levels of 'forever chemicals' | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/milwaukee-drinking-water-shows-very-low-levels-forever-chemicals-pfas/9495340002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/04/07/milwaukee-drinking-water-shows-very-low-levels-forever-chemicals-pfas/9495340002/ |
Wisconsin will hold a statewide tornado drill on Thursday and some cities and towns will be sounding their outdoor tornado warning sirens as part of the program.
If you hear the sirens today, it's just a drill. There is no severe weather forecast for anywhere in the state on Thursday.
The drill is set to occur at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6:45 p.m.
The statewide tornado drill is conducted each spring by the National Weather Service in partnership with state and local emergency management agencies.
Some communities will choose to test their tornado sirens and some won't.
Wireless emergency alerts, which send warnings to mobile phones, are NOT included in the test on Thursday, the weather service said.
Wisconsin had 41 tornadoes in 2021. So far this year, there has been one tornado — in southeastern Dane County on March 5, according to the weather service.
Wisconsin averages about 23 tornadoes each year.
Other tornado info:
There have been 1,537 documented tornadoes in Wisconsin since 1844, causing 511 deaths and at least 3,056 injuries.
Data prior to 1950 is incomplete because in many cases, only large tornadoes were reported and many rural tornadoes went unreported.
Wisconsin's worst tornado in terms of lives lost occurred on June 12, 1899 in New Richmond in St. Croix County. This tornado killed 117, injured 125 and destroyed more than 300 buildings.
A tornado on July 18, 1996 in Oakfield in Fond du Lac County injured 12 and caused $40.4 million in damage.
A tornado June 8, 1984 in Barneveld in Iowa County killed 9 people and injured 200 with damage estimated at $40 million.
On average the number of days per year with thunderstorms in Wisconsin ranges from around 30 along the Lake Michigan shore to around 40 over the southwest third of the state.
No storms, but it might snow — again
While no severe weather is forecast, there is a chance of snow again overnight Thursday and into early Friday in southern Wisconsin, primarily west of Milwaukee.
The potential snow won't amount to much, but don't be surprised to wake up and see it on grassy areas on Friday morning, said Kevin Wagner, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Sullivan. | 2022-04-07T18:03:45Z | www.jsonline.com | Tornado warning sirens across Wisconsin are part of statewide drill | https://www.jsonline.com/story/weather/2022/04/07/tornado-warning-sirens-across-wisconsin-thursday-part-statewide-drill/9496659002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/weather/2022/04/07/tornado-warning-sirens-across-wisconsin-thursday-part-statewide-drill/9496659002/ |
Fundraiser set up for Menomonee Falls High School employee whose son is stuck in Ukraine
A fundraiser is seeking to reunite the mother of a Menomonee Falls High School employee with her son, who is stuck in Ukraine while the country's war with Russia is ongoing.
That fundraiser on the GiveSendGo website is seeking to help Nataliya Gissibl, who works at the school as a special education assistant, bring her 19-year-old son, Nils, home.
Beth Clark, Gissibl's stepdaughter, created the online fundraising page, which has raised $2,080 as of April 6. Gissibl is originally from Ukraine.
Clark wrote on the fundraising page that she has multiple reasons for setting up the page: to help cover the cost of long-distance phone calls, to send money to Ukraine to help them stock up on supplies, to arrange transportation for Nils to an area accepting refugees and to provide relief to Gissibl, herself, who is working four jobs.
According to the page, Gissibl works at Menomonee Falls High School and at a day care center after school. She also cleans medical clinics in the evening and picks up 12-hour shifts at Quad/Graphics when work is available on weekends.
Gissibl is working to help her pay for her son's medical college, provide for her daughter and financially support her aunt.
Gissibl said in a phone interview that because of the war, Nils returned from medical college in Poltava to Kharkiv, where Gissibl is from. She also said she has family members, including an aunt and nephew, who are still in the city. Gissibl's daughter, Anya, is in Menomonee Falls with her.
"I wish I could go over there and help somehow, but I don't even know if I can fly there because right now there are no airplanes in Kharkiv. The airport is ruined completely, and nobody knows when it's going to be fixed," said Gissibl.
Gissibl said her son and a friend described what they have seen in Ukraine. Nils told her he has heard shooting and has seen tanks on the streets. A friend told her about seeing parts of human bodies on the ground.
It's hearing those accounts, reading articles and watching videos about the conflict online that have Gissibl's mind thinking of her home country.
"My body is in here in America, but my mind (is) over there. Every time I see somebody, and every time I talk to somebody — to my friends — and they see how I look like, they (ask) 'Did you cry today?' because they probably see my red eyes. I tell them 'Yes, I did, but I'm working in school and cannot show this to my students my frustration because I'm working with special ed kids, and a lot of them don't understand what's happening in my life right now.' So I'm just trying to be as strong as I can, but it's very hard. It's terrible," said Gissibl.
Clark said it's hard to see Gissibl living with the stress and worrying about Nils, saying Gissibl regularly asks her whether she will see her son again.
"I eventually had to tell her you've got to stop watching those videos and looking up the horrific pictures," said Clark. "You know now that it's bad, and we just have to pray for Nils' protection. I just keep telling her, 'you're absolutely going to see him again, because she's got to have hope."
Gissibl said people have been supportive and understanding of her situation.
"After spring break, I returned back to school and they kept telling me 'we still keep on praying for your family.' A lot of people keep saying 'why is (Vladimir) Putin so stingy and greedy? I just keep telling them I have no idea," Gissibl said.
To donate, visit givesendgo.com/G26T9. | 2022-04-07T20:30:45Z | www.jsonline.com | Fundraiser set for Menomonee Falls High School aide's son in Ukraine | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/04/07/fundraiser-set-menomonee-falls-high-school-aides-son-ukraine/9463163002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northwest/news/menomonee-falls/2022/04/07/fundraiser-set-menomonee-falls-high-school-aides-son-ukraine/9463163002/ |
Wauwatosa elects the first person of color in the 125-year history of the Wauwatosa Common Council
For the first time in the 125-year history of the Wauwatosa Common Council, Wauwatosa voters have elected a person of color to serve as their alderperson.
Margaret Arney, who ran unopposed during the April 5 election, will be Wauwatosa's next District 2 alderperson.
"It felt good. It felt really good," Arney said of seeing the results Tuesday night.
"I love that I got 952 votes ... not that I memorized that or anything," she added.
In 2020, Wauwatosa had the chance to appoint its first person of color to the council, as Sean Lowe was interviewed to fill a vacant seat on the council. However, the council chose Robert Gustafson instead.
Lowe and Gustafson faced off against each other in a race for the District 5 race on April 5. But that race ended in a tie. However, a provisional ballot that was cast could change the results of that race on Friday.
So, for now, Arney stands alone as the only person of color on the council, after John Larry lost his race for the District 8 seat to Melissa Dolan.
"Even though I didn't have an opponent, having it be really official just felt good, and I'm happy and I'm looking forward to the service I get to do," Arney said.
Arney said this is a win for a city that has put a recent emphasis on addressing diversity, equity and inclusion.
"It feels like OK, now is the time. Let's keep moving forward," she said.
Arney is president of the Wauwatosa Neighborhood Association Council and a founding member of the social justice group Tosa Together.
She serves as a commissioner on the Wauwatosa Senior Commission and is also vice chair of the Wauwatosa Equity and Inclusion Commission.
She's excited to get to work now as an elected official.
She'll be a newcomer to a common council that will see many new faces after six Wauwatosa council members announced they would not seek reelection.
She plans to build a collaborative working style with her fellow alderpeople.
The new council will be tasked with implementing the results of a referendum after Wauwatosa voters decided April 5 to shrink the size of the Common Council from 16 to 12 members.
"It's an adventure, and it's starting already," Arney said.
She is thankful to her supporters and wants to communicate well with her constituents.
"I encourage people to stay in communication and to reach out, to talk to me about what's important to them and know that I'm here to learn and here to listen and here to be their advocate," she said.
Wauwatosa has been the site of protests and calls for change in recent years, as diversity, equity and inclusion have been hot topics in the city.
In 2020, the city of Wauwatosa signed the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce's pledge to "Make Milwaukee a Region of Choice."
As part of the pledge, the city plans to increase diverse management by 25% and diverse employment by 15% by 2025. Wauwatosa was the first municipality in the state to join this effort.
The demographics of Wauwatosa are also shifting, as the city has seen a 40% increase in the number of Black residents living in the city in the last 10 years — up to 2,911 people — according to the 2020 census. The Asian and Hispanic/Latino populations are also increasing. | 2022-04-07T20:30:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Margaret Arney is Wauwatosa's first alderperson of color | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/07/margaret-arney-wauwatosas-first-alderperson-color/9484449002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2022/04/07/margaret-arney-wauwatosas-first-alderperson-color/9484449002/ |
New catcher Victor Caratini will need to hit the ground running as he joins the Brewers on opening day
Todd Rosiak Curt Hogg
CHICAGO – What's at the top of Victor Caratini's to-do list with the Milwaukee Brewers?
"Go to the right clubhouse today," manager Craig Counsell quipped Thursday morning in advance of his team's opening-day matchup against the Chicago Cubs.
"He's already 1 for 1."
Caratini was acquired late Wednesday afternoon in a trade with the San Diego Padres, a day after Pedro Severino was suspended for 80 games for a positive PED test.
He's already plenty familiar with Wrigley Field after having played for the Cubs from 2017-'20, hence Counsell's joke.
What he's not so familiar with is Milwaukee's pitching staff, which, of course, is a pretty important thing to get squared away for a backup catcher who Counsell indicated will be in the lineup sooner than later.
"Really, I think today he just needs to spend a lot of time absorbing a lot information," Counsell said. "He's already sat in on a bunch of meetings, he'll catch a couple of bullpens and just start the familiarization process.
"He can only go so fast. But that's how it works, so we'll give him time to get up to speed."
Counsell warned at the outset of camp that the intake process for Severino, who was signed in November, would take at least a few weeks into the season – even with the benefit of 3½ weeks or so of spring training.
But Caratini will be learning on the fly, with little more than some personal experience facing Milwaukee's pitchers, video and word of mouth.
"I think it's a fit to acquire a player who has experience," said Counsell of the 28-year-old, who broke in with the Cubs in 2017 and has 362 games in the major leagues.
"I think that more than anything helps this happen more quickly, I think it helps our pitchers feel comfortable more quickly. Even though they didn't play with him, our pitchers have familiarity with him. They've seen him, and that's helpful for the guys who are going to have him catch them.
"I think that'll help speed up the integration process."
Caratini played 116 games for the Padres last season, hitting .227 with seven home runs and 39 runs batted in to go along with an OPS of .632. His ability to switch-hit as well as play first base and some third will make him an even better fit on the Brewers.
He started 87 games at catcher in 2021 but didn't rate well defensively, accounting for minus-six runs saved.
All-star starter Omar Narváez already is on the case as far as tutelage goes.
"It's going to be more difficult because he didn't get any time with the pitchers (in the spring)," he said, adding he's known Caratini since 2013, when the two were frequent minor-league opponents. "But I'll do the same thing I did with Sevy – try to help him out and figure everybody out and teach him how they pitch.
"He'll get it. He's a good kid, a smart kid. He likes to work. So, I think he's going to help."
Caratini turns 29 on Aug. 17 and has one more year of team control along with one minor-league option remaining.
"Very surprised at first but in the end, very happy," said Caratini through translator Carlos Brizuela in reference to the trade. "This is a winning team that’s competed and they have a very good pitching staff. It just feels good to be here.
"I know (the Brewers) very well, playing in the division for a while. I know the team from the other side but obviously it’s not the same playing against them compared to playing with them.
"So, I’m just happy to be here and hopefully I can help them win."
Does Caratini think he'll be able to acclimate as quickly as he needs?
"It’s definitely a challenge, but I bet on myself," he said. "I have the experience. If I just work on it, it’ll be all right."
Brewers unconcerned about short spring for pitchers
A running comment all spring from Counsell was how hitters wouldn’t be affected much by the truncated camp because they really never needed all the at-bats they typically would get, anyway.
But pitchers? It’s possible the condensed spring schedule could have an impact on arms across the league early in the season, but the Brewers feel they did everything possible to maximize the short ramp-up period with most starters missing one additional outing from the usual allotment.
“They have done everything they possibly could. They’re ready,” Counsell said. “The regular season is different (than spring), but they’re ready. I think we’re one start quicker in this thing, every team, every pitcher is, but they’re in a really good place. I think it’s probably like half a start because they've ramped up intensity and intent for a bigger part of this. I think they’re very close to a normal spring training.”
Opening-day starter Corbin Burnes was able to go six innings in his final spring outing and went five in his penultimate start. Consensus from Burnes and the rest of the Milwaukee rotation was that they weren’t in any worse shape than previous years heading into the opener. | 2022-04-07T20:31:03Z | www.jsonline.com | New catcher Victor Caratini must get up to speed quickly with Brewers | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/new-catcher-victor-caratini-must-learn-quickly-as-brewers-face-cubs-on-opening-day-at-wrigley-field/9494913002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/new-catcher-victor-caratini-must-learn-quickly-as-brewers-face-cubs-on-opening-day-at-wrigley-field/9494913002/ |
University of Wisconsin-Platteville Chancellor Dennis Shields will leave the university on June 1 to take on a new role as the next president of the Southern University System and chancellor of Southern University and A&M College.
In an announcement of his hiring published by Southern University, Shields is quoted telling the system's board that he is humbled and honored to take on the role.
“I had a remarkable and inspiring visit (to campus) and was able to spend some time with the students," he said. "I take it as a great responsibility to help continue the rise of the Southern University System.”
He leaves UW-Platteville after 12 years at its helm.
His departure is the latest in what seems like a period of constant turnover for the university system's leadership.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank will head to Northwestern University at the end of the school year, UW-Whitewater is being led by its second interim chancellor in less than a year, and several other campuses welcomed new leadership during the past three years, including UW-Stout, UW-River Falls, UW-Green Bay and UW-Stevens Point.
Jay Rothman, the system's new president, will also start his role June 1. The system was led for more than a year under an interim, former Gov. Tommy Thompson, and is currently under the interim leadership of former UW Regent Michael Falbo.
Related:As he wraps up tenure, Tommy Thompson hopes UW System seen as 'the problem-solvers'
Falbo named Tammy Evetovich, provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, as UW-Platteville's interim chancellor effective June 1.
In the Board of Regents meeting Thursday, Regent President Edmund Manydeeds III said he expects the searches for both the UW-Platteville and UW-Whitewater chancellor jobs to launch by the end of the month, with the goal of hiring by February 2023.
He also said he anticipates the announcement of finalists for the job of UW-Madison chancellor later this month, with on-campus visits in early May. | 2022-04-07T22:45:33Z | www.jsonline.com | UW-Platteville Chancellor Dennis Shields going to Southern University | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/07/uw-platteville-chancellor-dennis-shields-leaves-new-job-southern-university-system/9501642002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/07/uw-platteville-chancellor-dennis-shields-leaves-new-job-southern-university-system/9501642002/ |
A University of Wisconsin System survey of students on the highly-politicized topic of free speech on campus has been delayed following weeks of fallout and the resignation of a chancellor.
Tim Shiell, director of UW-Stout's Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation, sent an email Wednesday to UW System's interim president, Michael Falbo, to say the survey would be delayed until fall 2022. UW System officials released the email to reporters Thursday.
The postponement would give the research team time to "answer fully and accurately the avalanche of questions arising and lay the groundwork for a successful survey," Shiell wrote.
In an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Shiell elaborated on the decision to delay the survey, saying there were several UW campuses that needed more time to prepare while conducting other planned surveys.
He also said the resignation of Jim Henderson, interim chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, inquiries about where the funding for the survey came from, and the overall debate surrounding it pushed the group to delay. There are many "fair questions" that need to be addressed, he said.
"We want to make sure we have a quality research project and given all the hoopla that's arisen around this at this point, the research team just felt we couldn't do the survey now and feel like the results were going to be reliable and credible," he said.
The research team, with Shiell in the lead, will conduct the survey through the UW System's Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service.
The Menard Center is funding the survey. The center is funded by a $2.4 million contribution from the family of billionaire John Menard, a prominent GOP donor. The center was initially founded in 2017 under an agreement with the Charles Koch Foundation and an anonymous donor, Shiell said. Koch is also a well-known proponent of conservative and libertarian causes.
More:UW-Whitewater interim chancellor resigns over free speech survey, extending leadership churn on campus
Shiell declined to elaborate on what questions have arisen around the funding for the survey, including the claim made by Henderson to the Journal Sentinel that one of the reasons chancellors were told the survey needed to be conducted this semester was because that was when external funding had been made available for it.
He said the funding and people were available this semester, and beyond that "we'll figure out whatever needs to be figured out" to move the survey to the fall.
The survey comes as Republican state legislators have been writing bills around free speech on campuses, and the topic of free speech and ideological expression on campuses remains a hot-button political topic nationally.
Conservatives claim university campuses stifle diverse political thought. They also rail against campus efforts to curb hate speech and embrace principles of diversity and inclusion. They express concerns that because of what they see as a climate of political correctness, students with conservative ideas censor themselves. And they decry "cancel culture," pointing to instances where student protesters have shut down campus speakers because they do not support their agendas or beliefs.
The politicization and polarization has made work as a free speech researcher more difficult, Shiell said, adding the Menard Center is nonpartisan and has complete autonomy from the Menard family.
He said the survey is needed because without any data on how people's free speech concerns, leaders are left to act on opinion and anecdotes alone.
"People are proposing laws and policies around the issue, but they're not doing it based on any data," Shiell said. "So we want to try to get some data. It won't be perfect data, no survey provides perfect data, but it's a starting point."
Aside from his research, Shiell has done work on the topic of free speech on campus, like pushing UW-Stout to change several of its speech codes. The codes were labeled problematic by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which supported the professor in his effort.
According to The New York Times, the foundation, which pegs itself as nonpartisan, has received growing support from conservatives over the years, including in the form of funding from groups like the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Charles Koch Institute.
Shiell said he has no official affiliation with the free speech foundation.
Shiell noted most of the questions being raised haven't been about the survey itself, but about how it was decided that it would be conducted by the UW System.
Falbo said in a statement to reporters Tuesday that after hearing initial concerns from university chancellors about the survey, he told Shiell that the System would not be participating.
But after talking with Shiell and receiving an email from him further explaining the survey, the interim system president said he was "more comfortable with the survey and its timing." At that point, he told chancellors it would be conducted.
Henderson then resigned, and the situation boiled over into the public eye.
The chancellor did not take issue with the idea of conducting a survey on free speech, noting the topic is important to his campus. Rather, at the core of Henderson's displeasure was the fact that university leaders weren't able to make their own decisions about what happens on their campuses. He suggested that was a symptom of a larger problem.
He said Falbo's explanation of why he changed his mind, as conveyed to chancellors, did not center on any merits of conducting the survey, or why it should take priority over the other surveys campuses may have had on the docket.
"That discussion focused more on the political fallout of not doing the survey rather than the merits of doing it," Henderson said.
Jon Shelton, vice president of higher education for the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin union and a professor at UW-Green Bay, issued a statement Thursday supporting the decision to delay the survey.
He said the effort to understand how students experience academic freedom in classrooms is "a laudable goal," but professors were concerned about the lack of input from faculty representatives. They are also concerned about the possibility of partisan political interests pressuring system administrators to launch the survey despite chancellors' objections, he said.
"Chancellor Henderson's resignation not only deprives the faculty and staff at UW-Whitewater of stable leadership on their campus, but also speaks to a troubling limitation to individual campus autonomy," Shelton said. | 2022-04-07T22:45:39Z | www.jsonline.com | UW System survey delayed amid questions about agenda of funding source | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/07/uw-system-survey-delayed-amid-questions-agenda-funding-source/9495817002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/07/uw-system-survey-delayed-amid-questions-agenda-funding-source/9495817002/ |
A total of 133 unopened ballots have been discovered in West Allis that were not counted on election day, a West Allis official has confirmed.
West Allis Deputy City Clerk Gina Gresch said instead of being counted on April 5, the ballots were left inside a locked blue bin within a secure room in the clerk's office that day.
Gresch said absentee ballots delivered to the clerk's office are normally immediately transferred into a particular box in the secure room in preparation for counting on election day, but on Friday, April 1, there was a higher number of ballots delivered than normal.
"So the clerk's office instead kept those ballots in the locked blue bin rather than immediately transferring those ballots to the boxes readied for counting," Gresch said in an email. "That is the reason these particular ballots were not counted on election day."
The number of ballots to be processed does not exceed the margin that would be necessary to change any tentative results, so no change in election results is expected, Gresch said.
A $149.8 million school referendum was on the April 5 ballot in West Allis, as was a West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board race.
The referendum was soundly defeated, and the difference between the third and fourth-place finishers in the school board race — the top three win seats — was 213, according to preliminary results.
The 133 ballots never left the secure room between Friday and Tuesday, Gresch said, and were always going to be discovered through the clerk's office protocols.
"While it was an error to not process them on election day, they will be processed now in the same manner as every other ballot," she said.
Milwaukee County Elections Director Julietta Henry said the county has to wait for West Allis to finish its process before they can tag in.
"We have nothing to do with their canvass," Henry said. "They have to canvass those as a part of their canvass, and then they will submit them to us, the result, and then we'll have to include those and add them to our canvass."
The West Allis Board of Absentee Ballot Canvassers met Thursday afternoon.
Gresch said results were to be emailed to Milwaukee County as soon as the meeting was finished, with all documents and materials delivered to the county Friday morning.
The absentee ballot totals will then be updated on the county's website. | 2022-04-08T00:51:39Z | www.jsonline.com | Unopened absentee ballots discovered in West Allis from 2022 election | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/west-allis/2022/04/07/unopened-absentee-ballots-discovered-west-allis-2022-spring-election/9504235002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/west-allis/2022/04/07/unopened-absentee-ballots-discovered-west-allis-2022-spring-election/9504235002/ |
WAUKESHA – Of course, he's a Bush Republican.
Son of one president and brother of another, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is six years removed from his unsuccessful bid for the presidency.
He's watching from afar as his son George P. Bush faces daunting odds in a Republican Party runoff for Texas Attorney General.
And if you ask Jeb Bush about the possible end of the Bush dynasty, he says without skipping a beat: "Yeah, that's been a topic for many years."
He doesn't focus on the words "Bush Republicans." Instead, he said, there are still voters out there who are "more traditional Republicans of believing in limited government and fixing the things that are going to make it harder for our freedoms to flourish."
Bush was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Waukesha campus Thursday to meet with students in the afternoon and lecture in the evening.
He was appearing in a program sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership. Bush was originally scheduled to be here two years ago, but the pandemic intervened.
"I follow politics," he said during an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "And I certainly follow policy. I'm still curious about how to fix things."
Bush, 69, is founder, president and board chair of the ExcelinEd, previously known as the Foundation for Excellence in Education. The Florida-based think tank backs educational choice, school accountability and early literacy programs.
He remains focused on the future.
"We should be a little more optimistic and proud of what we have," he said. "But you got to earn it. I'm frustrated that the issues we have, the problems we have are getting worse because we're not solving for them."
While ex-President Donald Trump and some of his supporters keep falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen, Bush indicated it's time to look forward.
"President Trump did far better than what people expected," Bush said. "He could have easily won, but he didn't. And, frankly, President Biden won the election for a whole set of reasons that he immediately ignored."
Bush said the mandate Biden received "was he was going to bring some normalcy. He was going to bring people together. His experience in the Senate, you know, would compel people to come together on the things they agreed on to build on that at least to start the kind of re-weaving the web of civility and consensus building."
Bush added that Biden has "done none of that."
Bush said there was also a big difference between the fallout from the 2020 election than the one in 2000, which came down to a bitterly contested recount in Florida. George W. Bush won Florida by 537 votes over Al Gore after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the recount.
"Social media didn't exist," he said. "The iPhone didn't exist."
Bush said that over time social media has played a "more deeply divisive kind of political environment."
"Now you can consume information over the internet, you can customize how you get your information, and it validates your views and makes you more righteous about your views, and certainly less tolerant about other people's views," he said. "There's no middle ground. That's the difference. It's a cultural difference driven by technology that we haven't figured out how to deal with."
Bush urged those running for office to be what he termed "forward-leaning," especially when running in a politically-divided state like Wisconsin.
"You have to draw people towards your cause rather than just say how bad the other guys are," he said. "You have to build to get to 50% ... You still have to go after voters. And you have to give people a little bit of hope that you're going to do some things that will actually help their lives." | 2022-04-08T00:51:45Z | www.jsonline.com | Jeb Bush discusses politics, policy and a dynasty at UW-Milwaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/07/jeb-bush-discusses-politics-policy-and-dynasty-uw-milwaukee-april-7-2022/9489373002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/07/jeb-bush-discusses-politics-policy-and-dynasty-uw-milwaukee-april-7-2022/9489373002/ |
Former state Rep. Josh Zepnick says he will not seek a recount of his 17-vote loss in a Milwaukee County Board race
Josh Zepnick's political comeback appears to be over, at least for now.
The former Democratic state representative who lost his seat after being accused of kissing two women without their consent came within 17 votes of capturing the District 12 Milwaukee County Board seat in Tuesday's election, according to unofficial final results. The district represents parts of Milwaukee's south side.
Zepnick said Tuesday night that he would consider a recount.
Because the margin behind the victor, Juan Miguel Martinez, was greater than 10 votes, a recount would have come at Zepnick's expense. Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson estimated Thursday that cost would be $5,200.
In a statement Thursday saying he wouldn't seek a recount, Zepnick said, "I have enormous respect for the election process and hard working people in Milwaukee who provide integrity and accuracy to our political system."
Zepnick's has attributed his actions involving two women when he was a state legislator to alcohol abuse problems that he has put behind him. He lost re-election to his seat after eight terms in 2018.
"As a recovering alcoholic, I do not believe in carrying around resentment or anger. Both my campaign and my opponent's ran vigorous spirited efforts to represent the diverse population of Milwaukee's South Side. Earning 50% of the vote is a clear signal that many people trusted my leadership and felt that I could effectively serve again in public office. I simply came up short on the votes."
Zepnick's announcement leaves one seat on the Milwaukee County Board unsettled after Tuesday's election.
In District 18, on the northwest side, ballots are still being counted in an election that featured write-in candidates only after the incumbent, Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr. failed to secure enough signatures to get on the ballot, falling six short of the required 200. | 2022-04-08T00:51:51Z | www.jsonline.com | Zepnick says he will not seek a recount in 17-vote County Board loss | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/07/josh-zepnick-says-he-not-seek-recount-17-vote-county-board-loss/9504144002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/07/josh-zepnick-says-he-not-seek-recount-17-vote-county-board-loss/9504144002/ |
Live coverage: Bucks vs. Celtics at Fiserv Forum
In a game that will help determine the second seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks take on the Celtics Thursday at Fiserv Forum.
Get live updates below.
Nickel column:Here's why Giannis Antetokounmpo should be the NBA's Most Improved Player
More:What are the Milwaukee Bucks' tiebreaker scenarios as the season draws to a close?
George Hill to have neck injury re-evaluated in offseason
In late January, after returning from the health and safety protocol and playing in eight straight games veteran guard George Hill appeared on the injury report with neck soreness. He would remain out with that designation through March 12 – a span of 17 games.
The 35-year-old guard returned to action on March 14, and Hill spoke about the injury for the first time at shootaround Thursday morning.
“It was very frustrating,” he said. “I had a partial tear in the T6, T7 spine, at the top. Had a couple cortisone shots to see if it’ll work. It’s gotten a lot better and I’ll revisit it this summer."
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said there is no minutes restriction on Hill.
“I spoke to a specialist; you’re going to have pain playing with it no matter what," Hill said. "Surgery can be season-ending, so you don’t want to do that. So I figured out how I can manage to get back out with the guys. It feels a lot better now and just trying to give everything I have.”
Bucks waive DeAndre' Bembry
A day after formally signing Argentinian guard Luca Vildoza, the Bucks waived injured forward DeAndre’ Bembry to once again open up a 15th and final roster spot.
Bembry suffered a season-ending knee injury in Golden State on March 12 and had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament on March 23.
The 27-year-old was signed on Feb. 16 after he was waived by the Brooklyn Nets and played in eight games for the Bucks. | 2022-04-08T00:52:09Z | www.jsonline.com | Bucks vs. Celtics at Fiserv Forum: game score, updates | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/07/bucks-vs-celtics-fiserv-forum-game-score-updates-april-7-2022/9494846002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/07/bucks-vs-celtics-fiserv-forum-game-score-updates-april-7-2022/9494846002/ |
CHICAGO -- Corbin Burnes and Omar Narváez achieved a major-league first during the Milwaukee Brewers season opener Thursday afternoon.
The Brewers starting battery became the first combo to ever use electronic pitch-calling technology in a major-league game by utilizing it for the duration of Burnes’ five-inning start in a 5-4 loss to the Cubs.
The technology, referred to within the industry as PitchCom, is an attempt at not only countering sign-stealing but also speeding up the game by reducing or eliminating the need for catchers putting down manual signs. The catcher wears a pad with buttons on the wrist to signal both pitch type and location to the pitcher, who hears it directly through a listening device.
With the Brewers and Cubs kicking off the schedule as the first game on opening day and Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks opting for manual signs from catcher Willson Contreras, Burnes and Narváez became the first to utilize the new technology in a regular-season setting.
RELATED: Cubs 5, Brewers 4: Seventh-inning stretch breaks Milwaukee's back
RELATED:Three takeaways from the Brewers' 5-4, opening-day loss to the Cubs
RELATED: New catcher Victor Caratini must get up to speed quickly with Brewers
Reviews from the battery were positive.
“I do (like it),” Burnes said. “It allows me to be a little bit quicker out there. Sometimes you get in there and hitters aren't ready so they're calling time. It's something everyone is going to have to get adjusted to. Pitchers are going to move a lot quicker so hitters are going to have to get in the box and know that, with this pitch count thing, it's going to be quicker. As far as the pace of the game, it feels normal.”
Narváez used PitchCom “two or three times” during spring, he estimated, and warmed up to it during the second use after seeing how it helped his pitchers establish a consistent rhythm on the mound.
“I actually liked it because it’s going to speed up the game a little bit and also helps give the pitcher some tempo,” he said. “We’re here to do everything we can for the pitchers and I feel like it’s going to help all our staff. As long as everybody is comfortable with it, we’re just going to use it. We also have another set of signs in case it’s not working for some reason.”
Brewers manager Craig was “pretty sure” that all his pitchers used the technology during spring training.
“I would say the last 10 days we really ramped up our use of it,” Counsell said. “Specifically last week.”
Burnes, however, was the only one of the three to take the mound for Milwaukee on Thursday to employ it.
That was, in large part, because the newly-acquired Victor Caratini, who arrived in the clubhouse one day after being traded to the Brewers entered the game in the sixth after Burnes exited. It simply made the most sense to keep things simple with Caratini and relievers Aaron Ashby and Jake Cousins.
“I’ve used it before,” Caratini said through interpreter Carlos Brizuela. “I think it was just more first day here so it just was more comfortable and easier to do the signs. As we move on, we’ll start using (PitchCom).”
Cousins had no qualms using the technology.
“I’m comfortable using it,” he said. “Used it a couple times in the bullpen and then twice in a game." | 2022-04-08T02:53:31Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers' Corbin Burnes first to use PitchCom tech during MLB game | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/brewers-pitcher-corbin-burnes-first-pitchcom-tech-during-mlb-game/9494944002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/07/brewers-pitcher-corbin-burnes-first-pitchcom-tech-during-mlb-game/9494944002/ |
Town of Grafton officials postponed a decision on a new proposed event space after residents expressed concerns
The town of Grafton Plan Commission is expected to consider three conditional use permits next month for a resident who hopes to offer event space and create a farm and bed-and-breakfast.
Bryan Gore applied for the permits, which includes adding event space to his 15-acre property at High Bluff Drive and Lake Shore Road. The remaining permits would allow Gore to operate a farm and bed-and-breakfast at his family’s guest house at 1776 Lake Shore Road.
“My sons and I have shared our property, Two Oaks, with the community for garden tours, musical events and educational opportunities and would like to extend and expand this concept to the adjacent property as a planned event space that could be rented a few times per year during seasonal weather,” Gore wrote in the application.
The commission intended to discuss the permits during its Wednesday meeting, but postponed the public hearing to notify more residents “and make sure everybody’s treated right,” said Town Chairman Lester Bartel.
Bartel said the town notified some residents before the hearing, but missed seven residents who live within 500 feet south of the proposed event space.
“It may have been just an internal error because there’s kind of two property lines within this property,” he said. “It’s an application that’s fairly complex, has a couple of different parts to it, and people are really concerned about one of them.”
Bartel said residents have expressed concerns about a potential increase in traffic and noise caused by large events. The property is just west of the Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve.
Gore suggested potential uses for the space could include weddings, themed events, fundraisers and more. His application details guests would enter the property on High Bluff Drive through "Sphinx Entry Drive" at the space to reach a tented area.
Valet or parking would be adjacent to the tented area and could accommodate 20 vehicles. Gore proposed additional parking lots at mowed areas of the property that could fit another 80 vehicles.
The space would be available for use between early spring and late fall. Small events would allow up to 20 guests, and large events could host 250.
With his other two permit requests, Gore hopes to add a farm to his property, which has been his “family home for just under 40 years.”
The bed-and-breakfast would offer overnight or day stays for two to four guests at the guest house, which has been used as a home office for the past 25 years. The house was originally designed and built on a separate parcel to house Gore’s mother-in-law, according to the application.
“There is no intention of actively advertising these accommodations, or any proposed visible signage relating to this activity if the conditional use permit is granted,” he wrote.
Gore wrote that the property once housed bees, quail, chickens and sheep after it was built in 1983.
The plan commission plans to discuss the permits during a public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. May 4. | 2022-04-08T13:15:51Z | www.jsonline.com | 3 Town of Grafton permits postponed as residents express concern | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/grafton/2022/04/08/3-town-grafton-permits-postponed-residents-express-concern/9486364002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/northshore/news/grafton/2022/04/08/3-town-grafton-permits-postponed-residents-express-concern/9486364002/ |
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigations earn top honors in business journalism competition
The staff of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been recognized with several top awards in a journalism competition that included media outlets from around the world.
The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) Best in Business Awards, are for work published, broadcast and/or posted on digital platforms in 2021.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earned top awards in the following categories:
Video. For "America’s Dairyland at the Crossroads," a collaboration between the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel led by reporter Rick Barrett, and Milwaukee PBS.
The reporting is part of the Journal Sentinel's Dairyland in Distress series of ongoing stories recognizing the challenges and sometimes outright devastation that Wisconsin dairy farmers have been facing in recent years.
Government. For coverage of turmoil in the Wisconsin National Guard.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation found that as America increasingly leans on the Guard to fight overseas wars, provide security at protests and even drive public school buses, Guard leaders and lawmakers have failed to keep pace with the greater mental health burden facing the soldiers.
The story examined the circumstances surrounding the suicides of four Wisconsin National Guard members upon their return from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
More:Four Wisconsin National Guardsmen went to Afghanistan together. All returned home safely. Within months, all took their own lives.
Health/Science. For an investigation into a little-known and life-threatening disparity in electrical fires in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods.
The investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that fires suspected to be started by faulty electrical wiring scorch homes in Milwaukee’s poorest ZIP code at five times the rate of the rest of the city.
More:Electrical fires hit Milwaukee's Black renters hardest. Nobody is held accountable.
The investigation also found that the already distressed 53206 ZIP code — and areas surrounding it — are the epicenter for electrical fire danger in the city.
Police and fire investigators, as well as federal, state and local officials, do little to stop it, the Journal Sentinel found, and, the people affected the most by these dangerous conditions are low-income Black renters.
The Journal Sentinel's work was recognized from among 1,277 entries submitted by 194 news organizations across all platforms and included international, national and regional news outlets as well as specialized business publications. | 2022-04-08T15:30:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recognized by journalism organization | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/04/08/milwaukee-journal-sentinel-recognized-business-journalism-organization/9501696002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/04/08/milwaukee-journal-sentinel-recognized-business-journalism-organization/9501696002/ |
Theresa Robinson battled to desegregate Milwaukee Public Schools. 'Mama T' wanted all kids to have a great education.
When Theresa Robinson moved to Milwaukee in 1953 with her husband, Alonzo, so he could start a new job as an architect for the city of Milwaukee, she vowed that her children and other Black kids would not have to settle for an education at racially segregated schools with old books.
So in 1965, Robinson and 40 other parents filed a lawsuit to challenge segregation in Milwaukee Public Schools.
The fight, which would last 14 years, eventually allowed students of color who were attending schools in their neighborhoods to attend all-white schools.
Robinson, affectionately known as “Mama T,” died March 15 at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. Her funeral was April 2 at Albright United Methodist Church in Milwaukee.
Ironically, Robinson died on the same day — March 15 — that the desegregation case was settled in 1979, said her daughter, Jean Robinson of Clifton, Virginia.
Theresa Robinson’s passion for fair education went back to her own experiences from the 1940s. Then, she walked eight miles round-trip to attend a one-room, racially segregated “School House for Colored” in Fairfax County, Virginia. She was often harassed by white children who were being driven to their schools. They would yell out the windows of the cars, calling Robinson and other Black kids derogatory names.
While the racism was caustic and overt, there was something even worse: a separate and unequal education.
Robinson’s “colored only” classroom was taught by one Black teacher working with children from kindergarten to seventh grade. Meanwhile, the whites-only school had more teachers, new books, more activities and better buildings.
“Mom always told us that there is no substitute for a quality education. She believed the only way to have socioeconomic success was through a great education. She fought all her life for it,” Jean Robinson said.
She was married to Wisconsin's first Black architect
Born in Chantilly, Virginia, Robinson was one of 11 siblings.
After finishing high school, she moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where she would meet and later marry Alonzo, the love of her life.
The Robinsons would go on to have three boys and a girl: Wayne, Ronald, Kim and Jean.
The couple relocated to Milwaukee after Alonzo was hired by the city of Milwaukee as the state’s first Black architect. He would go on to design a series of memorable buildings, including the headquarters for the Polish Association of America, the Doyne Park shelter house, the Hillcrest Nursing Home, McKinley Marina and the Central City Development Corp.
He designed numerous churches, too, including Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church on the city’s north side.
The couple quickly got acclimated to Milwaukee’s Black community and joined St. James United Methodist Church, where Theresa worked and taught both Sunday and vocational Bible schools.
The pair also worked with the Milwaukee United School Integration Committee; activist Father James Groppi; the Wisconsin NAACP; and Civil Rights attorney Lloyd Barbee. And they joined the fight for fair and safe housing.
“I remember my parents both being very active in the struggle,” Jean Robinson said. “We marched, and the entire family was involved.”
Living in a segregated neighborhood, Theresa wanted her children to have a chance for a better education, so she joined with Barbee in the fight to desegregate MPS, Jean Robinson said.
When the suit was filed in 1965, Jean Robinson was just starting kindergarten.
In 1965, Milwaukee was extremely segregated, with nearly every Black living on the city’s north side. Things are better today, but the city is still considered one of the most segregated in the nation.
When the suit was filed, Jean Robinson attended Lee Street School. After Lee Street School, she was supposed to attend Roosevelt, another all-black school, but Theresa got Jean tested to see if she would qualify for "superior ability" classes.
At the time, Hartford Avenue School on the city’s east side had an “SA” program. Her principal at Lee, Frank Spicuzza, helped her to get into Hartford.
“I remember every recess I would play chess with Mr. Spicuzza,” she said
Jean Robinson tested well enough to get into the mostly white school, but teachers held her back the first year to see if she could handle the coursework. She could. After the first year, she was skipped ahead to her normal class, she said.
MPS did not assist with transportation.
“Not too many people were happy that I was attending Hartford. I either caught the city bus, or sometimes I was able to get a ride to school,” she said.
When Jean got into Hartford, her mother’s push to desegregate MPS didn’t stop. Surprisingly, the Robinsons lost some friends because of the desegregation push, Jean Robinson said.
“Not everyone was for it. We understood. But the push was about fairness. One school should not have all the resources while a school in the Black community lacks resources,” she said.
Former MPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Fuller, who wrote his dissertation on desegregation, was against the move because he felt the larger burden fell on Black people.
“Look, I totally respect what (Theresa Robinson) and Lloyd Barbee were trying to do, but when you look at it, white people benefited the most from it,” he said.
Fuller said after he gained access to MPS financial records, he was able to follow the money and see all the dollars generated from busing Black children all over the city, money he felt could have been used to improve neighborhood schools.
A very long fight for justice
Robinson had no idea just how long and how hard the fight would be to win the lawsuit.
In fact, although she initially named each of her school-age children as plaintiffs in the class-action desegregation suit, only Jean was still a plaintiff by the end. The school board doggedly appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and by that time, Wayne, Ronald and Kim had graduated and aged out of the school system.
Although federal Judge John Reynolds made his ruling in 1976, it was not until March of 1979 that the city of Milwaukee actually settled and MPS began taking measures to integrate its schools.
A meeting with President Obama
Aside from being a fighter for educational fairness, Robinson was also a strong supporter of the Democratic Party, and she often worked at the polls and with various organizations to get people to vote.
After a series of mini-strokes that caused her to use a wheelchair, she had a chance to meet President Barack Obama in 2015 at a private dinner.
“My mother was a diva,” Jean said. “She took a picture with President Obama while she was in the wheelchair and then he asked her if she wanted to take one without the wheelchair.”
Theresa stood up out of the wheelchair and President Obama moved it to the side as Secret Service agents tried to assist, Jean Robinson said.
“President Obama told them ‘I got this,’ before taking a picture with Mom. Then I got in the picture with Mom and my daughter,” she said.
In November, Theresa’s husband’s name became part of the Milwaukee Fire Department Administration Building, which he designed. Alonzo Robinson died in 2000.
Jean Robinson said education was the one thing both of her parents will be remembered for.
“When we finished high school, there was no talk of taking a year off," she said. "The only thing that was said was, 'What college are you going to?' ” she said.
In addition to Jean, Robinson is survived by Wayne Robinson of Naperville, Illinois, and Kim Robinson of Milwaukee. Her son Ronald died in 2015. | 2022-04-08T15:30:35Z | www.jsonline.com | Theresa Robinson's desegregation fight with MPS stemmed from her past | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/08/robinson-fight-to-desegregate-mps-stemmed-attending-colored-only-milwaukee-public-schools/9477718002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/04/08/robinson-fight-to-desegregate-mps-stemmed-attending-colored-only-milwaukee-public-schools/9477718002/ |
It was a familiar sight, but still made you do a double take.
Sam Hauser was spotting up behind the three-point line at Fiserv Forum and knocking down shots with that textbook form. Except in this game, the 6-foot-8 forward was wearing a No. 30 jersey for the Boston Celtics.
Hauser had the best performance of his rookie season, scoring 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting in 18 minutes in a 127-121 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. That it came in the building in which he played 19 games for Marquette in the 2018-19 season made the former Stevens Point Area Senior High School standout shake his head when asked about the twisting path to get back there.
“It’s pretty surreal," Hauser said. "You dream of being an NBA player. I was growing up a basketball player my whole life, so I dreamed of being on this stage. Having it come full circle, playing against the Bucks in front of my family and friends, it was just a really, really cool experience.
"Never take it for granted, ever. There’s a lot of people that would love to trade places with me. That’s why I try to take it one day at a time and get better and better.”
Hauser's last game at Fiserv was MU's 86-84 loss to Georgetown on March 9, 2019. The Golden Eagles had a promising start to that season, but stumbled down the stretch. Then Hauser and his younger brother, Joey, transferred to Virginia and Michigan State, respectively.
It was a stunning move considering Hauser had played three seasons with the Golden Eagles and needed to sit out a season under NCAA rules at the time. When he finally got on the court, he played in empty arenas due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hauser was hoping for more postseason success with the Cavaliers, but they were upset by Ohio in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite averaging 16 points and shooting 41.7% on three-pointers as a senior, Hauser was not selected in the NBA draft in July. He agreed to a two-way contract with the Celtics.
Related:'The better fit for me': SPASH alum Hauser chooses Celtics offer because of familiarity
Hauser made his NBA debut Nov. 20 and scored his first points against the Bucks on Dec. 13. Naturally, his first NBA bucket was a three-pointer.
He also played 13 games with Boston's G League affiliate in Maine but was converted to a standard NBA contract on Feb. 11.
“First and foremost, his shooting stands out,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “Elite shooter. Been that since we’ve had him in the building and also with the G League team. He’s a very cerebral player across the board.
“He’s fit in well, the games that he’s played. Early in the season when guys were injured, we plugged him right in and didn’t really miss a beat as far as defensively and some of the things we were looking for. Always in the right spot. Great team defender. Knows how to use himself and his angles and a cerebral guy, like I said, not just offensively but defensively as well. He’s a guy we’re comfortable putting in with starters and other guys at any time of the game. Shooting is always there but it’s more than that, he’s a well-rounded player.”
Hauser has appeared in 23 games this season, though his playing time has increased in recent weeks.
“Really just showing up every day and being professional," Hauser said. "Doing your work. And just having a positive mindset, too. The ups and downs, I’ve had some this year. You just got to stay level-headed and continuing to put in the work each and every day. When you get the opportunities, you got to be ready and take full advantage of them because they don’t come around that often for some guys.”
Hauser missed the Celtics' Christmas Day game in Milwaukee because he was in the league's health and safety protocols. So he had been looking forward to Thursday's matchup since becoming a full-time NBA player.
“I got like 15 tickets myself and I probably had 20 more people here at the game that I know of that got their own," he said. "Definitely a good showing.”
In fortuitous timing, the Celtics sat Al Horford and Jayson Tatum, so there were minutes available in the frontcourt. Hauser checked in at the 5:17 mark of the first quarter and sank a three-pointer from the corner under a minute later.
Hauser then made 2 three-pointers in a 44-second span in the second quarter.
“It felt like home," he said. "I hadn’t been here in a while, but I’m familiar with it for sure. Good to see the first one go through and my confidence jumped up right after that. So I was able to make a couple more and contribute. Overall, I thought it was a good game.”
Hauser also pulled down four rebounds and made a smart baseline cut for a layup in the second half. He even saw time guarding two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on defensive switches.
Pretty heady stuff for the 24-year-old rookie.
"The whole journey is pretty cool when you go back and think about it," Hauser said. "A lot of hard work has gone into being right here, right now. So just continue to do that.”
Hauser then bounded down the corridor to the Fiserv court, where dozens of family and friends were waiting. | 2022-04-08T15:30:53Z | www.jsonline.com | Sam Hauser scores 11 points for Boston Celtics against Milwaukee Bucks | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/08/sam-hauser-marquette-stevens-point-scores-11-points-boston-celtics-against-milwaukee-bucks/9507506002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/04/08/sam-hauser-marquette-stevens-point-scores-11-points-boston-celtics-against-milwaukee-bucks/9507506002/ |
VILLAGE OF PEWAUKEE - If you see or hear vintage Lamborghinis, Maseratis or other sports cars nearby, it's likely the newest business in the area.
Streetworks Hot Rods moved from Waukesha to Pewaukee in April. After 22 years of operation in downtown Waukesha, the internationally known vintage car restoration business found a larger new home at the former Wisconsin Wood Laminates at 600 Hickory St.
While the space needed some renovations, Streetworks began the moving process about two weeks ago. It has 20 employees who work in the shop.
"It’s a huge addition to a town like Pewaukee because this isn’t common. In fact, it’s very, very uncommon," said owner Matt Backhaus. "Few places like this exist, and we’re one of the elite restoration shops in the country, and we’re here in Pewaukee. Most people wouldn’t even know."
The new space is much larger than its former location. In Waukesha, it had four locations around the city, totaling 18,000 square feet. One location was working space, one was for upholstery and the rest was for car storage.
Now, all of the vehicles reside under one roof that has 36,000 square feet.
"The Waukesha setup wasn't really working for us," Backhaus said. "We did a lot of remodeling with it. It was in rough shape. In another month. it’ll be all cleaned up and be a well-oiled machine by then."
Streetworks's specialty is Italian sports car restoration. It has clients from all over the U.S. and even around the world; cars range in price. The shop often has cars worth at least $1 million, like a one-of-three, early 1960s Maserati custom coach that was originally owned by a Saudi Arabian prince. That car is now Wisconsin owned.
It also does a lot of local work. Backhaus said at least half of the work is local for easier service and repair work on older cars.
Because many of the cars the shop works on don't have parts made for them anymore, it makes many of them in-house. It also gets a variety of car types and materials to work with.
Its work is recognized annually with an invitation to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a coveted California car show that's invitation only. Streetworks already has a vehicle it plans to take to the 2022 show in August.
Then again, it could have its own car show in Pewaukee, with an original Lamborghini Countach, a Maserati Ghibli and a host of other classic vehicles.
"We have been doing this job for 22 years, and it has never been boring," Backhaus said.
There are still some final touches to make in the ship and a few cars left to move, but Streetworks hopes to host an open house in the spring.
"We did that a couple of times at the old shop, and we had a big turnout. We had like 600 or 700 people come through. Everyone is welcome to come see what we do." | 2022-04-08T17:36:24Z | www.jsonline.com | Streetworks Hot Rods sports car restoration shop moves to Pewaukee | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/08/streetworks-hot-rods-sports-car-restoration-shop-moves-to-pewaukee/9477178002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2022/04/08/streetworks-hot-rods-sports-car-restoration-shop-moves-to-pewaukee/9477178002/ |
MSOE will build a $3 million softball stadium on its downtown campus. It's part of a larger effort to expand women's sports at the college.
Milwaukee School of Engineering will build a $3 million softball stadium on its downtown campus — part of a larger effort to expand its women's sports teams.
The project, announced Friday, will be developed at North Milwaukee and East State Streets, site of the college's current softball field.
MSOE Raiders Softball Stadium will provide the team with a facility comparable to the college's other athletic facilities: downtown's Kern Center, and Viets Field as well as Raiders Baseball Stadium, in Glendale, according to the college.
The new softball stadium will have seating for 250 spectators; a building behind home plate featuring a press box, ticket window and concessions; dugouts, batting cages, bullpens and fencing.
The larger field area will retain MSOE’s sand volleyball court, Frisbee golf holes, walking paths and green space.
Construction is to begin in April and will be completed in time for the 2023 spring softball season.
MSOE Raiders Softball Stadium was designed by Ramlow/Stein Architecture + Interiors in collaboration with 4Most Sport Group. Catalyst Construction will serve as the project manager.
MSOE teams compete in NCAA Division III. The college has an enrollment of 2,747 students.
The new stadium is part of a series of improvements that include new offices for coaches and new women’s locker rooms in the Kern Center and Viets Field.
Five new women's sports teams being added
Those projects will allow the Raiders athletics program to add five new women’s teams: lacrosse, hockey, swim, golf and bowling, and to expand women’s track and field offerings, according to a statement from MSOE.
The number of women athletes will increase by 130, more than doubling the current number of women who participate in varsity sports.
Also, MSOE’s music programs will get their own renovated and dedicated space on campus.
The expansion is being funded by a gift from Kathy Ruehlow, Matthew and Jodi Burow, and Fiduciary Management Inc. All three are MSOE alumni, with Ruehlow and Matthew Burow also serving on the college's board of regents.
“We are committed to offering our students opportunities and activities that support the development of their whole being, and that their collegiate experience goes beyond the classrooms and laboratories,” said John Walz, MSOE president, in a statement.
“We greatly appreciate the support of Regent Kathy Ruehlow, Regent Matthew Burow and his wife Jodi, and Fiduciary Management Inc. to help us increase opportunities for female athletes at MSOE," Walz said.
Other fairly recent MSOE developments include the renovation and expansion of Hermann Viets Memorial Tower, a residence hall at 1121 N. Milwaukee St., and Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall, 1025 N. Milwaukee St. | 2022-04-08T17:36:30Z | www.jsonline.com | MSOE will build a $3 million softball stadium on its downtown campus | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/08/msoe-build-3-million-softball-stadium-its-downtown-campus/9511156002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2022/04/08/msoe-build-3-million-softball-stadium-its-downtown-campus/9511156002/ |
CHICAGO - The Milwaukee Brewers are two days in and have faced one postponement.
The team's Friday afternoon game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field was postponed, the Cubs announced 90 minutes prior to first pitch.
It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on May 30. The first game will be at 12:05 p.m. with the second to follow at 6:40. | 2022-04-08T17:36:42Z | www.jsonline.com | Milwaukee Brewers game vs. Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field postponed | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/08/milwaukee-brewers-vs-chicago-cubs-lineup-game-score-updates/9507325002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/08/milwaukee-brewers-vs-chicago-cubs-lineup-game-score-updates/9507325002/ |
Maru reopens on Milwaukee's east side, serving traditional Korean dishes
Initially a pandemic casualty, Maru is open again on Milwaukee's east side, this time as a Korean bistro instead of a sushi restaurant.
It's largely serving traditional Korean dishes, making them to order for lunch and dinner at 2150 N. Prospect Ave.
Menu items include grilled main dishes such as beef bulgogi or eel; bibimbap made on hot stone; soups and stews including spicy soft-tofu stew, beef soup, army base stew with Spam and duk mandoo soupwith rice cake and dumplings; and noodle dishes such as jap chae, the sweet potato noodles.
It also has appetizers, including Korean fried wings, vegetable or pork fried dumplings, and pancakes with onion, green onion, carrot, zucchini and red bell and serrano peppers.
Prices range from $4.95 to $12.95 for appetizers and $14.95 to $24.95 for main dishes.
Three or four banchan, the side dishes, are served before entrees; the lineup changes, but staples are kimchi and cucumber kimchi, with pickled radishes, fried zucchini and shredded carrots among the rotating banchan.
The menu is identical at lunch and dinner, but lunch prices are discounted 10%, said general manager Hugo Campos.
He said he's working to expand the offerings at the bar, which now are soju, wine, beer and some sake.
RELATED:Memories of Mom, if not exact recipes, shine through in woman's Korean food classes and pop-ups
RELATED:When Latin flavors meet bao and kushiyaki, you get Dia Bom
Maru opened quietly in mid-February after some remodeling of the space, to change the color scheme and lighting. Business has been building since then, Campos said, and the restaurant can be especially busy on Friday and Saturday nights.
The restaurant typically has K-pop and other Korean music playing; students from UWM settle in to watch K-dramas on their devices while dining, Campos said.
This isn't the first change in identity for the restaurant. Jongsoo Kim and family initially opened in the former Izumi's space as Kanpai 2 in 2018, a sushi restaurant like sibling Kanpai in the Third Ward. It changed to Maru Sushi, an all-you-can-eat format, in March 2019 and closed during the pandemic lockdown of March 2020.
Campos said the owners had subleased the space to another business, but that restaurant never opened. The Kim family decided to open the bistro rather than let the site continue to sit empty.
Another all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant, Fushimi, is at 2116 N. Farwell Ave., about a five-minute walk from Maru. Another Korean restaurant that had long served traditional dishes, Seoul, was next door to Maru but closed in the pandemic.
Some of the same traditional dishes that Seoul served are now on the menu at Maru.
"We’re able to come in and fill that gap for people," Campos said.
Customers can make reservations (recommended Friday and Saturday nights) or order takeout online, at marukoreanmke.com. DoorDash provides delivery. To contact by phone: (414) 210-4139. Most tables are for two or four, but one is for eight diners, and the restaurant can seat a party of up to 16.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday. The restaurant just added Saturday lunches in April, Campos said. | 2022-04-08T19:33:55Z | www.jsonline.com | Korean restaurant Maru bistro reopens on Milwaukee's east side | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/04/08/korean-restaurant-maru-bistro-reopens-milwaukees-east-side/9503242002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/04/08/korean-restaurant-maru-bistro-reopens-milwaukees-east-side/9503242002/ |
CHICAGO – Kolten Wong started 108 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, and 108 times manager Craig Counsell penciled him into the leadoff spot in his lineup.
So it would make sense if he had to battle his muscle memory when he filled out the lineup card Friday morning at Wrigley Field.
Counsell slotted Wong seventh in his batting order with a bevy of right-handed bats above him and left-hander Justin Steele scheduled to get the start for the Chicago Cubs.
“I think what we're trying to do is we have a couple of players who have really hurt left-handed pitching in their careers,” Counsell said. “So we're just trying to get them at-bats against left-handed pitching when the other team uses a left-handed starter.”
The game was postponed by the Cubs before the first pitch due to inclement weather in the forecast, but odds are the lineup will remain the same when the teams arrive at the park Saturday.
The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on May 30. The first game will be at 12:05 p.m. with the second to follow at 6:40.
Wong spent much of his career in St. Louis batting seventh or eighth, so the adjustment moving from the top of the lineup wasn’t a concern.
“(Leadoff) was something I had to learn last year,” Wong said. “I’m very comfortable with wherever I hit in the lineup. It was just one of those things last year where that was my job. I really had to figure out how to do it and do it my way.”
Andrew McCutchen, who had a 1.027 OPS versus southpaws last year and a .961 clip for his career, was moved to the leadoff spot. Willy Adames and Christian Yelich followed, remaining in the same spots as opening day against right-hander Kyle Hendricks.
but Hunter Renfroe, Keston Hiura and Tyrone Taylor — all righties — followed in front of Wong.
Mike Brosseau, part of a platoon at third base, and switch-hitting catcher Victor Caratini rounded out the order.
“When you’ve got guys like McCutchen who really do damage off left-handers, you want them at the top,” Wong said. “If you’re trying to win, that’s what you got to do. For me at this point, I just want to win. So if I’m leading off the game, cool, if not, whatever I gotta do to be that guy. Wherever I’m put, I’m happy with it and this just makes the most sense.”
More:These former Brewers (and others with Wisconsin connections) made Major League Baseball opening-day rosters
Hiura and Taylor were quick to find the starting lineup this season after sitting out opening day.
Hiura was the team’s hottest hitter during spring training and makes sense on the other side of a platoon with Rowdy Tellez at first base.
With Taylor starting, the Brewers are doing some early management of days off with starting centerfielder Lorenzo Cain, and Steele’s start was a chance to slot Taylor into the order against a lefty after he had a .827 OPS against them last year.
“We’re just making sure (Lorenzo) is doing fine going into the season, pacing him a little bit to start off,” Counsell said. “We're just trying to take advantage of who's on the mound for the other team or optimizing it for us.”
Expect plenty of lineup changes going forward, as well. Milwaukee’s roster allows Counsell the ability to mix and match based on matchups just about every day.
“It’s a huge opportunity to play matchups and win,” Hiura said. “That’s always been something that we’ve been pretty good at having. That’s something that we’ve been successful with in the past is having that depth and having the next guy step up.
“I think when we look at teams that have been successful in the past, whether it’s pitching depth, offensive depth, it’s something that is needed.” | 2022-04-08T19:34:17Z | www.jsonline.com | Brewers' Andrew McCutchen leading off, Kolten Wong moved down vs. Cubs | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/08/brewers-andrew-mccutchen-leading-off-kolten-wong-moved-down-vs-cubs-milwaukee-chicago/9507338002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/08/brewers-andrew-mccutchen-leading-off-kolten-wong-moved-down-vs-cubs-milwaukee-chicago/9507338002/ |
Numerous former Milwaukee Brewers (and other players with Wisconsin ties) made Major League Baseball rosters around the league. Check out where everyone has landed:
Brewers from 2021
Orlando Arcia, Atlanta Braves. Arcia was dealt to the Braves last year when Willy Adames entrenched himself as the starting Milwaukee shortstop, and though Arcia saw action in only 32 games (.625 OPS), he did win a ring. He's back as a bench player this year.
Jackie Bradley Jr, Boston Red Sox. The longtime member of the Red Sox had a brutal offensive year last year after signing with the Brewers, and he was traded back to Boston in the deal that brought Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee. Bradley Jr., still an elite defender, figures to see a lot of action in the outfield.
Eduardo Escobar, New York Mets. Escobar, who had an .800 OPS in 48 games with the Brewers last year after he was acquired before the trade deadline, signed with the Mets in the offseason and doubled in the season opener.
JP Feyereisen, Tampa Bay Rays. Part of the trade to land Adames, the River Falls native and UW-Stevens Point alumnus was nails for both the Brewers and the Rays last season, posting a 2.45 ERA with the latter club over 34 games.
Avisaíl García, Miami Marlins. After a big season in Milwaukee last year, he signed for four years and $53 million in the offseason with the Marlins. He posted an .820 OPS last year with a career-best 29 homers for Milwaukee.
Daniel Norris, Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee already has seen last year's trade-deadline acquisition, who permitted two runs in the season opener. Norris allowed 15 earned runs in just more than 20 innings (6.64 ERA) with Milwaukee last year after coming over from Detroit.
Manny Piña, Atlanta Braves. He was a Brewers backstop from 2016-2021, one of the club's longest-tenured players when he signed with the Braves this offseason.
Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays. Part of the Adames trade last year, the promising 26-year-old made 10 starts and 20 appearances for the Rays, notching a 2.44 ERA and 0.966 WHIP. He's in the rotation to start this season.
Trevor Richards, Toronto Blue Jays. Acquired last year in the Adames deal, then traded to Toronto for Rowdy Tellez, Richards (a former worker at the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee) had a solid 2021, with a 3.50 ERA and 0.964 WHIP.
Travis Shaw, Boston Red Sox. The hero on opening day last year for Milwaukee, he started out hot in his second go-round with the Brewers but ultimately posted a .616 OPS and .191 batting average in 56 games before getting waived. He's back with Boston, the team with whom he came up in the big leagues, after a successful 28-game stretch last year in Boston (.843 OPS, three homers).
Hunter Strickland, Cincinnati Reds. A huge midseason acquisition last year who posted a 1.73 ERA in 35 games, but now he pitches for an NL Central rival.
Daniel Vogelbach, Pittsburgh Pirates. Vogelbach, who hit nine homers in Milwaukee last year (including an unforgettable grand slam) and posted a .730 OPS, actually batted leadoff for the Pirates on opening day.
Other names you'll recognize
Jesús Aguilar, Miami Marlins. The popular former slugger was a revelation for the Brewers in 2018 but released after struggles the next year. He's now in his third year with the Marlins after swatting 22 home runs last year and posting a .788 OPS.
Jacob Barnes, Detroit Tigers. The reliever was drafted by the Brewers and played in Milwaukee for three-plus seasons. Since his departure in 2019, he's spent time with the Royals, Angels, Mets, Blue Jays and now the Tigers.
Jhoulys Chacín, Colorado Rockies. A revelation in 2018, Chacin was the Brewers opening day starter in 2019 before struggling and getting released later that year. The longtime Rockies player is back where his career started in his second year of his second stint. He worked 64 innings last year and posted a 4.34 ERA.
Ji-Man Choi, Tampa Bay Rays. Traded by the Brewers in 2018 to the Rays, Choi has been a fixture in Tampa ever since. He hit 11 homers last year in 83 games, with a .758 OPS.
Nelson Cruz, Washington Nationals. Forever the one that got away in a fateful trade to the Rangers in 2005, Cruz has just kept hitting. He has a one-year deal worth $15 million at age 41 after an all-star season last year with Minnesota (and eventually Tampa Bay.).
Zach Davies, Arizona Diamondbacks. A Brewers starter from 2015-19, he's with his fourth team in as many seasons. He posted a 5.78 ERA in 32 starts with the Cubs last year and made 12 strong starts with San Diego the year before that.
Mauricio Dubón, San Francisco Giants. Traded for Drew Pomeranz in 2019, He's now in his third year with the Giants. He posted a .655 OPS last year with five home runs and played four different spots on defense.
Alcides Escobar, Washington Nationals. Escobar wasn't in MLB baseball in 2019 or 2020, but this will be his second year with the Nationals after posting a .744 OPS last year. He had a hit in the season opener. The shortstop played for Milwaukee in 2009 and 2010 before going to Kansas City in the trade that brought Zack Greinke to Milwaukee.
Paolo Espino, Washington Nationals. Briefly a Brewer in 2017 for 17⅔ innings, Espino resurfaced after three years away from the big leagues in 2020 with the Nationals. He posted a 4.27 ERA last year with 19 starts and 35 appearances overall.
Ben Gamel, Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent most of last season with Pittsburgh after his time in Milwaukee in 2019 and 2020. He posted a .750 OPS for the Pirates in 2021, with eight homers.
Yasmani Grandal, Chicago White Sox. The 2019 all-star in Milwaukee signed a big free-agent deal with the White Sox before 2020, and last year, he posted a .939 OPS with the White Sox for the best mark of his career (though in only 93 games).
Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals. Back where his career started, the popular contributor to the 2011 division title allowed a run in 5⅔ innings for Kansas City in the season opener. He was traded by the Brewers in 2012 and has continued to rack up five more all-star appearances in his 30s.
Trent Grisham, San Diego Padres. It became a frowned-upon trade in 2020 when Grisham had a breakout year for the Padres and the Brewers weren't seeing great returns out of Eric Lauer and Luis Urías, for whom Grisham and Zach Davies had been traded. But Lauer and Urías had great 2021 seasons in Milwaukee, and Grisham tapered off last year (.740 OPS, .242 batting average, 15 home runs). He collected a hit in the opener for the Padres.
Deolis Guerra, Oakland Athletics. Remember him? No? He appeared in one Brewers game in 2019 and allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning. He's in his second year with Oakland (4.11 ERA last year) but is on the 60-day injured list and will have elbow surgery.
Corey Knebel, Philadelphia Phillies. Knebel, an all-star with the Brewers in 2017 and a member of the organization from 2015-2020, had a nice season with the Dodgers last year, going 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 25⅔ innings, with three saves and a 0.974 WHIP. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Philadelphia this year.
Jorge López, Baltimore Orioles. The Brewers second-round draft pick appeared with the parent club briefly in 2015, 2017 and 2018 before getting traded to Kansas City in the Mike Moustakas deal. This will be his third season with the Orioles.
Jordan Lyles, Baltimore Orioles. He's one of the team's highest-paid players at one year and $7 million after two tough seasons in Texas. He was huge for the Brewers in 2019 (2.45 ERA, 7-1 record) after the club re-acquired him.
Martín Maldonado, Houston Astros. A Brewers catcher from 2011-2016, he continues to contribute well into his 30s. He started on opening day for Houston, where he's played since 2019 in a second go-round with the Astros. The defensive-minded standout struggled at the plate last year (.573 OPS).
Brad Miller, Texas Rangers. Briefly a Brewers infielder in 2018, he's been with Cleveland, Philadelphia (twice) and St. Louis in the years since. He posted a .774 OPS and hit 20 homers last year with the Phillies.
Mike Moustakas, Cincinnati Reds. Moose was a playoff hero in 2018 and all-star in 2019 for the Brewers, and this will be his third year with the Reds, where he's battled injury thus far. He posted a .653 OPS last year.
David Phelps, Toronto Blue Jays. Signed and then traded by the Brewers to Philadelphia during a weird 2020 season, Phelps landed in Toronto last year and posted a 0.87 ERA in 11 games. He's back with the Blue Jays, a bona fide World Series contender, this season.
Brett Phillips, Tampa Bay Rays. The fun-loving World Series hero was traded to Kansas City in the Mike Moustakas deal in 2018, and this will be his second full season with Tampa and third overall. He posted a .727 OPS last year with 14 stolen bases and 13 home runs.
Drew Pomeranz, San Diego Padres. He opened the season on the disabled list, which is a big loss for the Padres after he posted ERAs of 1.45 and 1.75 the past two years. The lefty reliever was a massive pickup for the Brewers in late 2019, posting a .911 WHIP and 2.39 ERA, then signed a four-year deal in San Diego.
Jonathan Schoop, Detroit Tigers. An infamous trade-deadline get in 2018, Schoop has fared much better in the past three seasons than he did in Milwaukee. Last year, he posted a .755 OPS with 22 home runs for the Tigers, and he's still only 30 years old in his third year with the franchise.
Jean Segura, Philadelphia Phillies. One of the key pieces coming to the Brewers in the Greinke trade is still going strong, now in his fourth season with the Phillies. He was an all-star with Milwaukee in 2013, one of his three-plus seasons with the Brewers. He's made stops in Arizona, Seattle and now Philly, finding sustained success each time. He's a career .285 hitter with a .740 OPS.
Will Smith, Atlanta Braves. The "slider of death" reliever with the Brewers from 2014-2016 has had a great career since getting traded, including an all-star campaign with the Giants in 2019 and a World Series ring last year with the Braves, when he saved 37 games. This is his third year with Atlanta.
Tyler Thornburg, Atlanta Braves. It's a comeback story for Thornburg, who didn't pitch at all in 2021 but did work an inning for the Braves in the season opener. In 2016, he was the centerpiece of a trade that grossly favored Milwaukee when Thornburg couldn't stay healthy. He missed all of 2017 and struggled in 2018 and 2019, then briefly saw action with the Reds in 2020.
Jonathan Villar, Chicago Cubs. Villar, last with the Brewers in 2018 before a trade-deadline exchange for Jonathan Schoop, didn't see action in the season opener. He's been with the Orioles, Marlins, Blue Jays and Mets since his last appearance in Milwaukee, swiping 40 stolen bases in 2019 with Baltimore.
Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics. It wasn't clear if Vogt's career would continue after an injury-riddled 2018 in Milwaukee (he played with the Brewers in 2017), but the man is still going strong at age 36. He won a ring last year in Atlanta and finished the year with a .616 OPS over two stops (also in Arizona).
Former Brewers minor leaguers
Anthony Banda, Pittsburgh Pirates. Traded by the Brewers in 2014 that sent Mitch Haniger to the Diamondbacks for Gerardo Parra, Banda will be in his second year with the Pirates working out of the bullpen. He posted a 3.42 ERA last year in 25 games with Pittsburgh after getting selected off waivers.
Michael Brantley, Houston Astros. A name many Brewers fans will recall was dealt in the CC Sabathia trade to Cleveland back in 2008, Brantley has had a tremendous career, making the all-star team five times (including last year in his third season with Houston). He notched two hits, including a double, in the opener to his age-35 season.
Garrett Cooper, Miami Marlins. Traded in 2017 to acquire Tyler Webb, Cooper has been a solid big-leaguer with an .845 OPS and .282 career batting average. This is his fifth season with the Marlins, playing first base and right field.
Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners. Dealt in 2014 to Arizona for Gerardo Parra, this is really a big one that got away. The 2018 all-star was good again last year for the Mariners, with an .804 OPS and a whopping 39 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Cooper Hummel, Arizona Diamondbacks. Hummel made his major-league debut with a walk in the 2022 season opener. The infielder/outfielder was dealt to Arizona last year along with third-base prospect Alberto Ciprian for Eduardo Escobar.
Payton Henry, Miami Marlins. The catcher was traded last year in the deal that acquired John Curtiss, and he made his major-league debut last year, showing up in five games. The 24-year-old made the roster as the backup to Jacob Stallings this year.
Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners. Moore appeared to be on the cusp of a callup to the Brewers during the 2018 season but was ultimately granted free agency after the year, and he's been a scrappy contributor to Seattle the past three seasons. In 2020, he delivered an .855 OPS, and he hit 12 homers last year (.610 OPS).
Jake Odorizzi, Houston Astros. A top prospect dealt to Kansas City before 2011 in the Zach Greinke trade, he's fashioned a solid career, with one all-star appearance in 2019 for the Twins. This is his second year in Houston, where he posted a 4.21 ERA last year in 24 appearances (23 starts).
Drew Smyly, Chicago Cubs. He's kept crossing paths with the Brewers since opting out in 2019 and signing with the Phillies, just before Brandon Woodruff's injury would have opened a door for him to make the Brewers roster. He played for Atlanta last year — the team that beat Milwaukee in the postseason — and now he's in the division.
Wisconsin ties
Danny Jansen, Toronto Blue Jays. The Appleton native had a bounceback season offensively in 2021 (.772 OPS, .223 batting average) after a down 2020, though he played in only 70 games. He's back as the starting catcher for an AL pennant contender.
Jarred Kelenic, Seattle Mariners. The Waukesha native is one of the game's most exciting prospects. Though he took his lumps as a rookie last year (.615 OPS, .181 batting average in 337 at-bats), he showed flashes of what he could do, helping the Mariners make a late-season push for the playoffs that fell just short.
Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers. The door is open for Lux to get some time as the Dodgers starting second baseman, part of a team many have picked to win the World Series. The Kenosha Indian Trail alumnus came into 2021 as a rookie of the year possibility and posted a .692 OPS with seven homers, but the upside remains significant for the 24-year-old.
Owen Miller, Cleveland Guardians. The Ozaukee native walked in his lone plate appearance in the season opener. He racked up 202 plate appearances last year with the Guardians, slugging four home runs and posting a .551 OPS while playing four positions on the diamond.
Ben Rortvedt, New York Yankees. The Verona native is on the injured list to start the season. He made his major league debut last year with the Minnesota Twins but was traded in March.
Jonathan Stiever, Chicago White Sox. He's on the 60-day injured list as he battles back from lat surgery last summer, so he won't be available for the first couple months of the season. The Cedarburg native made his big-league debut in 2020.
Daulton Varsho, Arizona Diamondbacks. Varsho, the Marshfield native who became the first UW-Milwaukee alumnus to reach the big leagues in 2020, came up as a catcher, but he started the opener in center field. The 25-year-old, who caught a no-hitter last year and batted .246 with a .755 OPS and 11 homers, remains a highly intriguing prospect.
Jared Walsh, Los Angeles Angels. A native of Oconomowoc before moving from the area, Walsh will start at first base for the Angels after making the all-star team last year and finishing with 29 homers and an .850 OPS. He's just 28 years old, though he played high school ball in Georgia.
Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays. Father Dante played two years for the Brewers. Bo made the all-star team in 2021 and led the American League with 191 hits, finishing with a .298 batting average and .828 OPS.
Zach Plesac, Cleveland Guardians. Uncle Dan Plesac was one of the top pitchers in Brewers history. Zach went 10-6 last year with a 4.67 ERA.
Cal Quantrill, Cleveland Guardians. Big-league father Paul played college baseball at Wisconsin before the school dropped the program. Cal had a 2.89 ERA last year and went 8-3 in 22 starts (40 appearances overall).
Ramón Urias, Baltimore Orioles. The starting third baseman is the brother of Milwaukee's Luis, and he posted a .774 OPS last year.
Seth Beer, Arizona Diamondbacks. He has no connection to Wisconsin but his name is Beer. He had two hits, including a homer, on opening day as the Diamondbacks DH. | 2022-04-08T19:34:23Z | www.jsonline.com | Former Brewers, Wisconsin players on MLB rosters for opening day | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/08/former-brewers-wisconsin-players-mlb-rosters-opening-day/9511802002/ | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/04/08/former-brewers-wisconsin-players-mlb-rosters-opening-day/9511802002/ |
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