text:
Mixer will connect Milwaukee community to rich legacy of HBCUs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
July 26, 2023
There is a connection between historically Black colleges and universities and Milwaukee’s own Alice’s Garden Urban Farm.
Several HBCUs, shorthand for such schools, were founded as institutions to further education in food and agricultural sciences and still have sustainable food programs, a mission that Alice’s Garden embraces as a farming oasis in the city.
So, it’s natural that Alice’s Garden welcomes community members connected to or interested in HBCUs to a celebration from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at 2136 N. 21 St.The free, open-to-all HBCU Summer Mixer will have food, networking and entertainment honoring the traditions of Black colleges.
“There are a lot of people here in Milwaukee that attended Black colleges or kids are going there now, and I think just a lot of people don’t know, so it’s just a way to highlight, to network, to show that sense of pride as well,” said Courtney Kelly, a consultant for Rochelle Consulting and Events who is organizing the event.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Historically Black colleges and universities, mostly located in the South, were founded during Reconstruction to be a higher-education option for Black people who were unwelcome at public and private institutions at the time.
Many HBCUs are 1890 land-grant universities, which were institutions for African Americans created to strengthen research and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences, according to Venice Williams, executive director of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm.
“We were exploited as Black folk when so many of us were brought to this country, and food and land were both weaponized against us,” Williams said. “ … And so the beauty for me, always, of historically Black colleges and universities is that so many of them were birthed out of the very real necessity to educate us by us and to heal our relationship with food and land, and, in spite of everything that had been done to us and continues to be done to us, to say, ‘Here we are. And we’re not just surviving, we’re gonna thrive.’”
Williams, a Lincoln Creek resident, will be giving walk-throughs of the garden and sharing the history of land-grant institutions, But the focus of the mixer is celebration and joy, she said.
Attendees are encouraged to wear HBCU pride clothing, even if they did not attend one, and to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the “Yard,” an HBCU campus fixture where students gather on a grassy area between classes, Kelly said.
The event will feature vendors, music from DJ KelC and performances from Milwaukee Hittaz: Drum Corps and a majorette dance team.
Both Williams and Kelly have personal connections to HBCUs.
Kelly is a Milwaukee native who attended Rufus King High School, where she learned about and then enrolled in Florida A&M University, a historically Black university in Tallahassee.
“It was more than an education experience, it was definitely a life experience that I cherish, I take pride in,” she said of her time at an HBCU.
Williams’ grandmother was accepted into but did not attend what was then Tuskegee Institute when tuition was $500 for four years but every student had to work the farm.
“She did do a visit and very much celebrated throughout her life her story of having met George Washington Carver,” Williams said. Carver was one of the most prominent Black scientists of the early 20 century.
The HBCU community in Milwaukee is quite large because many Black families in the area moved north in the Great Migration and have southern roots, according to state      Rep. LaKeshia Myers, a graduate of an HBCU, Alcorn State University. Myers  represents the 12th Assembly District.
Myers works with the HBCU United Milwaukee alumni group and estimates there are 35 specific alumni chapters that have a representative in the organization.
“I think it’s more than appropriate to have a reception and a get-together in Alice’s Garden because of all the work that Venice does with understanding the land and the healing aspect of agriculture and bringing people together through food and a lot of the growing power that we have in this community,” Myers said.
HBCU United Milwaukee is promoting additional events, including an annual get-together for alumni on Sept. 15, a college fair on Oct. 7 and a college tour of HBCUs for interested early high schoolers in spring 2024.
For more information on Milwaukee’s HBCU community, visit the HBCU United Milwaukee Facebook page or contact Myers’ office by email or phone to learn more about the college tour.
To learn more about Alice’s Garden and upcoming events, visit its website.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

author: Meredith Melland


text:
53070226707_fe3634a126_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 25, 2023

source: news-milwaukeenns

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Ron Smith


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-3-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 25, 2023


text:
JusticePoint offers incarceration alternatives in Milwaukee. Two judges tried to cancel its contract. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch
July 27, 2023
Editor’s note: This story is part of a collaboration between the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Wisconsin Watch and The Appeal.
Four decades ago, a newspaper investigation described Milwaukee’s municipal legal system as “cash register justice.” Thousands of impoverished residents with mental health or substance use issues languished in county jails due to unpaid civil violation fines, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Responding to the outcry from The Milwaukee Journal’s 1985 investigation, the city stopped automatically jailing residents who failed to pay civil fines and expanded its Court Alternatives Program. As a result, Milwaukee sent people like Sue Eckhart to court, where they could help low-income residents and those with mental health problems by offering alternatives to incarceration.
Eckhart has managed the alternatives program for decades, providing assessments, screenings, and referrals to treatments or community service for those facing civil violations, such as illegal parking or loitering. Since 2015, the program’s vendor, currently JusticePoint, Inc., has served 705 people with mental health issues, 80% of whom resolved their cases without paying a fine, wrote Eckhart, the organization’s program director, in an email to Wisconsin Watch, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and The Appeal. The nonprofit says it’s served 11,000 total clients during the last eight years.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Although the organizations providing those services changed over time, the core staff — Eckhart and her colleagues — stayed put. But in May, Eckhart suffered a “gut punch” when the city terminated her organization’s contract before it expired in 2024. Officials provided little explanation as to why and did not line up another vendor to take over what many see as vital work to curb mass incarceration.
“I never saw that coming at all,” Eckhart said in an interview.
In a last-ditch effort to seek answers, JusticePoint sued the city on July 10 — a day before the city’s cancellation took effect. A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge quickly granted a temporary restraining order, allowing JusticePoint’s services to continue as the dispute unfolds in court.
But the prospect of eliminating — and not replacing — JusticePoint’s services has stirred confusion and deep concerns among those serving some of Milwaukee’s most vulnerable residents.
“It is shocking that Milwaukee Municipal Court would suddenly cancel the contract for such an invaluable program,” wrote a coalition of 24 local organizations in May after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the city’s plans. They added that the court had provided no information on what would happen to the hundreds of people JusticePoint currently serves.
One of JusticePoint’s clients is Quintin Walls, a 42-year-old father of six, who owed $100 for a civil violation. He has received services from the organization three times now, starting when he received parking tickets while living in his car. Over the years, the organization connected him to community service to pay off his fines and to resources that led him to secure housing.
The coalition urged the mayor and the city’s Common Council to save the program, but officials say neither has control over the contract. The council funds but does not oversee the program, allocating $487,000 for JusticePoint’s services this year.
Two Municipal Court judges, Phil Chavez and Valarie Hill, recommended terminating the contract before a third judge, Molly Gena, was elected in April, city officials said during a June Common Council subcommittee meeting. It would have been illegal and unenforceable if the council had directed the court to rescind the termination notice, Assistant City Attorney Kathryn Block said at the subcommittee meeting.
Jonathan Brostoff, who represents the city’s East Side, called the court’s decision “fishy” and “quite troubling.”
Brostoff and Michael Murphy, who represents Milwaukee’s West Side, later told Wisconsin Watch they were concerned about the court’s lack of transparency.
Court officials declined to answer questions from Wisconsin Watch, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and The Appeal, citing the pending lawsuit.
A spokesperson for Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson declined to comment for this story, but added that Johnson “was not involved in any decision-making” regarding the contract.
Nick Sayner, JusticePoint’s co-founder and chief executive officer, said he’s troubled by the lack of transparency from officials.“The court’s silence and the city’s silence tells you that you should be concerned that there’s something else going on here,” Sayner said.
Judges Chavez and Hill told Chief Court Administrator Sheldyn Himle they “lost faith” in JusticePoint over the longstanding practice of sharing citations with attorneys at Legal Action of Wisconsin, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to people with low incomes, according to a May 15 email between Sayner and Himle.
The city attorney’s office had advised JusticePoint to share citations during pilot phases of a program to help people with low incomes find legal representation, Sayner wrote to Himle.
“It is not clear to me how we were to know we should have ceased this activity prior to receiving your feedback,” Sayner wrote. “Once we were notified by your office to end this activity, we stopped providing that information immediately.”
Sayner also told Himle that JusticePoint hadn’t received broader feedback from the court for several years, but was open to it as long as the program’s principles remained consistent.
Legal Action of Wisconsin attorneys were not aware of any past issues with sharing citations, said Susan Lund, an attorney with the nonprofit. Her firm receives identical copies of citations through police department open records requests and said she did not know why JusticePoint’s information sharing would be a problem.
(Legal Action of Wisconsin separately sued the Municipal Court in July, alleging the court failed to record hearings on judgments and case reopenings as required by state law.)
In a May 15 letter, the city’s purchasing department informed Sayner it was terminating JusticePoint’s contract, effective July 11. JusticePoint had not delivered unspecified “possible solutions” following a May 5 meeting, the letter said.
Eckhart, whose office sits on the second floor of the Municipal Court building, said she was mortified upon learning the news.
“‘Oh, my God, what are our clients going to do?’” she said she thought.
The city terminated the contract under a “convenience” clause, rather than for cause, allowing it to be canceled for any reason as long as the city gave JusticePoint 10-days written notice. If it had terminated for cause the city would have had to give JusticePoint 30 days to fix any alleged deficiencies.
“At no point was JusticePoint informed that failure to respond with possible solutions would result in the termination of the contract,” Sayner and fellow co-founder Edward Gordon wrote to the purchasing division.
Speaking at a June subcommittee meeting, Himle said the court planned to continue the Court Alternatives Program without JusticePoint. She did not clearly answer how that would happen without a new contractor.
“The judges have made some decisions on how to continue as best they can through referrals they may make,” Himle said.
James Gramling, Jr., a retired Municipal Court judge, said in an interview it was unreasonable to expect judges to make such assessments from the bench, particularly in cases unfolding on Zoom.
“The judges seem to think they’re going to be able to identify from the bench people that have addiction, mental health issues and refer them to some agency. Good luck with that — it’s not workable,” Gramling said.
As a judge, Gramling would assess the needs of defendants and then rely on one of Eckhart’s case workers to perform a full screening outside of the courtroom, Grambling detailed in a letter to the Common Council. Defendants would often be directed to perform community service or receive counseling or treatment.
“Many thousands of people are processed without individual treatment by the court,” Gramling wrote. “And many of those defendants are disadvantaged members within our community: the poor, those addicted to drugs and alcohol, those suffering from mental health issues.”
Nearly 60% of JusticePoint participants participate in community service. The program’s alcohol and substance abuse program serves more than 90% of participants, as do its mental health services, according to the city budget.
Gena, the newest of the three Municipal Court judges, said terminating JusticePoint’s contract would make her job “a lot harder.” Speaking at the June meeting, the former Legal Action of Wisconsin managing attorney said she could order people to pay fines but can’t address root causes that will send many people back to court.
“It was indicated that maybe the other judges have a plan — I don’t,” she said.
In its lawsuit, JusticePoint argues the city violated the Wisconsin Fair Dealership law, which protects “dealers” — typically business owners — whose economic livelihood could be imperiled by “grantors,” who, through a contract, grants dealers the ability to sell or distribute goods or services. The law prohibits a grantor from terminating a relationship with a dealer without good cause, proper notice and the ability to fix any issue at hand.
“The City seeks to terminate — abruptly, unilaterally, and without good cause — JusticePoint’s relationship with the City,” the lawsuit argues. “Worse yet, the City has not contracted with another vendor to provide these critical services to the people of Milwaukee.”
The Circuit Court granted JusticePoint a temporary restraining order to maintain its contract as the case plays out. A hearing on that order is scheduled for October 5.
Eckhart has collected countless stories of people her colleagues have helped over the decades. She recalled one man who bathed in a pond outside of the Municipal Court building and had racked up many citations while struggling with alcoholism. Eckhart’s team connected him to a treatment service and resolved his tickets.
She said she later saw him with frostbite on his feet during the winter and gave him a pair of heavy socks. He later returned to thank the team.
“And I’ll never forget that,” Eckhart said.
Then there was Theodora Athans, whose photo appeared in The Milwaukee Journal’s 1985 “Justice Denied” series that revealed how the court created “debtor’s prisons” within the Milwaukee County’s criminal justice system.
Athans lived with schizophrenia and the Milwaukee County Circuit Court found her to be a “danger to herself.”
But Eckhart said her team found Athans housing and the woman later volunteered for the alternatives program.
“Thank you for being so kind to me,” Eckhart recalled Athans later saying when Eckhart visited her while she was sick in the hospital.
“The people we help, I don’t think would get help anywhere else,” Eckhart said, “and that’s the part that bothers me.”

author: Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch


text:
53073342232_a65fb8dc58_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
53074117339_7da675de38_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
53074320710_60a08c3c75_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
53074419928_3872359dee_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
53074424638_a9eac43169_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
JusticePoint-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
JusticePoint | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-3-5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
Residents endure long waits as FoodShare and Medicaid requirements change | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Trisha Young
July 27, 2023
Changes in FoodShare and Medicaid requirements have caused benefits to be cut off for many and created difficulties for beneficiaries to get their applications reviewed or renewed.
And state workers are struggling to keep up.
Beverly Knox and her son Christopher Knox have had a front-row seat to the disruptions.
Christopher Knox is the caretaker for his mother, who had brain surgery to remove a tumor and suffered a stroke nearly 30 years ago. She no longer has mobility in almost half her body.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The nightmare for them has looked like this:
“I was on hold with people from the (FoodShare) program for one and a half hours waiting to conduct my mom’s interview,” Knox said. “They asked me for my mom’s case number and put me on hold for another 20 minutes, and then an automated voice said something like: ‘We close at noon on Thursdays’ and ended the call.”
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ FoodShare call center is indeed closed at that time, which is not common knowledge for many people on these programs based on NNS interviews.
Knox said at least three times in June he endured two hours or more of wait times to secure a FoodShare interview for his mother so she could get the assistance she needed.
Many times, Knox said, he was met with rude and disrespectful customer service.
“She can communicate on her own, but ain’t no way in the world (she) would be able to do all this by herself,” Knox said.
In addition to the family’s difficulty in getting the mother interviewed, Knox has had to send in documentation to again prove his mother’s medical condition for both FoodShare and Medicaid.
“You need proof of everything,” he said.
Emergency FoodShare allotments ended in February, causing wholesale review of both FoodShare and Medicaid cases. In addition, work requirements for FoodShare and Medicaid recipients were reinstated earlier this year and are being phased out over nine months.
Jamie Kuhn, director of the Wisconsin Medicaid program, acknowledged during a call with the press the probability of long hold times. She said this is because of the high call volume, the hiring of new staff and the flood of cases that need to be reviewed.
“This is an unprecedented effort and all hands are on deck,”  Kuhn said.
Knox was finally told by a call center employee to file a complaint with the Hunger Task Force, which works with the state Department of Health Services, or DHS, to expedite severe cases.
“We are deeply concerned,” said Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Hunger Task Force.
During the pandemic, the federal government issued extra emergency allotments of FoodShare. And during the pandemic, more people were accepted into Medicaid programs. Many requirements, such as being employed and having proof of income, were lifted or lightened.
The number of FoodShare recipients in 2019 averaged 609,359 a month in Wisconsin, according to DHS numbers. But despite the winding down and official declaration of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin has seen an average of 709,832 FoodShare recipients per month from January to June. That’s about 100,000 more Wisconsinites accessing FoodShare a month.
For Wisconsin Medicaid, which includes programs like BadgerCare Plus, about 1.2 million people were receiving state medical insurance before the pandemic. That number has now risen to 1.6 million Wisconsinites. The DHS estimates that 1 in 4 residents will have to go through the renewal process over the next year.
Studies from the Urban Institute and NORC estimate that at least 300,000 Wisconsinites will have to transition off of Medicaid. These studies also estimate that anywhere from 49,000 and 72,000 Wisconsinites will become uninsured.
According to the DHS, more than 32,000 people who took action to renew Medicaid services were found ineligible in the month of June.
Emergency FoodShare allotments ended in February and Wisconsin Medicaid programs resumed routine operations in May. Many of those Medicaid cases were suspended for people who did not submit renewals on time.
As a result of the emergency aid, not as many people went to food pantries during the pandemic emergency period, Tussler said. That has since stopped.
The Hunger Task Force saw a 20% increase in the use of food pantries from January to June and a 36% increase in the use of meal sites during the same time.

author: Trisha Young


text:
53044270170_a6a59f4851_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-3-3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-3-4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 26, 2023


text:
5 things to know and do the weekend of July 29 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
July 28, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Come to Coffee Makes You Black, 2803 N. Teutonia Ave., for a fundraiser on Saturday, July 29 in support of the 27th annual Jaha Workshop’s Father and Son Retreat, which is a camping trip that boys and men take to Camp Xhongo in rural Wisconsin. The fundraiser event will be a night of fun and entertainment from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. General admission is $15 and individuals can feel free to make donations to help fund the camping trip. More information here.
Your Move MKE Hip-Hop Chess Club is teaching children ages 10 to 12 how to implement hip-hop into playing chess on Saturday, July 29 at the Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St., inside the Makerspace Room, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  More information here. From the archives: NNS Spotlight: How Your Move MKE uses hip-hop and chess to help youths
Come celebrate Spinn MKE’s one-year anniversary with a block party on Saturday, July 29 from noon to 5 p.m. The event will take place at  309 W. Brown St. and there you will see vendors, enjoy entertainment, hear guest speakers and more. Outdoor classes, including yoga and dance, will also be held. It will be $15 to participate in the classes. However, the event is generally free and open to the public. More information here.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Kwame Nsoroma of Red Bike and Green will guide bike riders on a biking expedition on Sunday, July 30 to discover various plant life such as hood flora, herbs and edible plants. Meet at the Walnut Way Conservation Corporation, 2240 N. 17th St., at noon. The ride starts at 12:30 p.m. More information here.
Milwaukee Dream Center is hosting Hope and Faith Fest, where free backpacks and school supplies will be given out from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 30 at Atmosphere Church, 929 S. 37th St. In-person registration is from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. More information here.

author: Chesnie Wardell


text:
51845860417_f37a16fd5d_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 27, 2023


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 27, 2023


text:
Youth March Against Gun Violence returns to Amani neighborhood Sunday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
July 28, 2023
Madison Webb, the incoming president of the Amani Youth Council, sees her neighborhood as “peaceful” and “like a family.”
Both ideas are central to the Amani Youth Council’s Youth March Against Gun Violence, which returns for a fourth year from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For Webb, a 16-year-old Amani resident, the march is not so much a protest but a chance for community members to make signs and demonstrate that they do not support gun violence or violence in general.
“A lot of gun violence comes from people not liking each other and not having a sense of community,” Webb said. “If we’re all one and we’re teaming up against this, I feel like that would really make someone notice that hey, this isn’t OK, like you have us, like we’re all a community, you don’t have to come in our community and hurt somebody with a firearm.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The march will start at Dominican Center, 2470 W. Locust St., and move throughout the neighborhood.
Priscilla Coggs-Jones, who represents the 13th District on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, will be a guest speaker.
There will be an open mic for anyone who wishes to speak on violence in the community. There will also be food and games.
Marches in past years have drawn big groups of residents from all ages, according to Elizabeth Brown, who is the chairperson for Friends of Moody Park, Amani United’s president and chairperson for education and family well-being.
She also serves as the youth coordinator for the Dominican Center and is the support person for the youth council.
“We have a lot of elders in our community, and they might not be able to do the march, but they do show up for the festivities and everything else,” Brown said.
In Amani’s Moody Park, artists and community members painted tributes to people the community has lost on the backboards of basketball hoops, and their names are scattered around the park, Webb said.
“We’ve lost too many people in this community from gun violence and that’s not OK,” Webb said.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department’s crime map, one homicide has been reported in Amani this year, an 89% decrease from nine reported last year at this time and an 83% decrease in year-to-date homicides from 2021.
There have been 22 non-fatal shooting incidents reported in Amani in 2023, up from 18 at this time last year.
The City of Milwaukee has had 512 non-fatal shootings so far this year, up 6% from this point in 2022, and 91 homicides, a 29% decrease from last year, according to MPD data.
While acknowledging gun violence impacts Amani, Webb also sees the youth march as a chance to raise awareness, adding “this isn’t a bad community, and people shouldn’t be so quick to put it in a category or a box.”
The Youth March Against Gun Violence is just one example of the events the Amani Youth Council puts on for the community.
The council meets every other Saturday at the Dominican Center to plan programming for youths and the broader community in Moody Park, often focusing on mental health. Though it’s mainly for ages 12 to 24, all youths are welcome to attend and a junior council is being worked on for younger kids.
“Everything they do is all their idea,” Brown said. “I don’t come up with the stuff, I just help them put it in perspective and work on it in a way where they can actually do it.”
Amani Youth Council also spotlights local small businesses through entrepreneur showcases where it purchases a business’s product or service and then promotes it to the community for free.
The council receives funding from the Milwaukee Parks Foundation and has events running throughout the summer, including Fun Friday gatherings and Sound Baths.
To learn more about the council, visit its Facebook group or email amaniyouthcouncil1@gmail.com.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.


text:
53074037448_33b2ecc3c7_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 27, 2023


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-3-6 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 27, 2023


text:
5 things to know and do the week of July 31 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
July 31, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Attend the Southside Organizing Center’s annual South Side National Night Out and Safety Fest on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at Kosciuszko Park, 2201 S. 7th St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be resources for public safety and emergency services along with free food, shirts and more. More information here.
Farmers markets are back. Jackson Park has its farmers market every Thursday at 3500 W. Forest Home Ave. So come out Thursday, Aug. 3 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to get some fresh produce. Check out a complete list of farmers markets compiled by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Police Department District 6 is having a National Night Out that includes family fun like food, games, a bouncy house, raffles and more. The event takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug.  3 at 2200 W. Kinnickinnic River Parkway, near Pulaski High School. More information here.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The Havenwoods’ free concert series is still happening. This week it will occur on Thursday, Aug. 3, with music beginning at 6 p.m. The V Funk Band will be hitting the stage at Uihlein Soccer Park, 7101 W. Good Hope Road to bring residents funk, R&B, and dancing. Kid hours are from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and there will be concessions and food trucks. More information here.
Staff and teen employees of Escuela Verde’s Newline Community Café will be hosting Silver City Night Markets on Friday, Aug. 4 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 3618 W. Pierce St. This event features vendors selling hand-made goods and other crafts, activities, food and games. The event is open to all. More information here.


text:
18729175151_ff32ec9759_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 29, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 29, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 29, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 29, 2023


text:
African American Roundtable invests $40,000 in new participatory budget initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
July 31, 2023
After years of urging the City of Milwaukee to establish a participatory budgeting process that would give residents a say in how city resources are spent, the African American Roundtable has launched its own initiative.
The organization’s Participatory Budgeting Program will allow Northwest Side residents to propose, vote on and execute ideas on community-led projects.
“We believe the decision on how money is spent should be left in the resident’s hands,” said Devin Anderson, the African American Roundtable’s membership and coalition manager. “So, we felt it was worth putting our money where our mouth is and creating a process where residents are included.”
Applications for the program close Friday, Aug.4.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The African American Roundtable will distribute $40,000 in grants to community-led projects that improve the quality of life for residents on the Northwest Side — an area the organization’s leaders say has seen decades of divestment, lack of leadership and neglect.
To apply, you must be a Northwest Side resident who is 18 or older, a church, organization or Northwest Side collective (neighborhood associations/groups) or a business serving this area.
Projects must support neighborhood safety or wellness and be based on the Northwest Side.
“I’m excited to be a part of this process and to see and hear what residents propose — and to see the community come together and make crucial decisions,” Anderson said.
The group plans to launch the voting cycle Aug. 12 at its Northwest Side block party at Henry David Thoreau Elementary School, 7878 N. 60 St.
“We wanted our voting process to reflect the community this program is meant to serve,” Anderson said. “Because this is our program, we get to determine what democracy looks like, so we opened up the voting eligibility.”
Although the organization has created its own program, members said their advocacy for a city-funded program will not stop.
The African American Roundtable wants the City of Milwaukee adopt a participatory budgeting process to give residents the abilities to propose, vote on and implement local budgeting decisions.
Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members decide how public dollars are spent.
The city’s current budget is complete for the public to see and the 2024 budget is in the works.
“The question is: Do we want people civically engaged or not?” said Markasa Tucker-Harris, the executive director of the African American Roundtable. “If we do, then it’s the city’s job to follow through and allow residents to be engaged.”
The group wants its program to inspire others.
“In addition to improving the lives of people in Milwaukee, we’re hoping our program can be used as a blueprint in other communities across the country that are craving for change,” Tucker-Harris said. “We are the ones we have been waiting for.”
Winners of the program will be announced in late fall.
You can follow the African American Roundtable on Facebook.
Visit liberatemke.com and aartmke.org to learn more about participatory budgeting in general and the Roundtable’s work in Milwaukee over the years.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


text:
52101654440_e962685988_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 29, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 29, 2023


text:
7 ways the shared revenue bill will affect Milwaukee residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 1, 2023
A revenue sharing bill by the Wisconsin Legislature has enabled Mayor Cavalier Johnson to sign into law a historic 2% sales tax that will help the city avoid bankruptcy, maintain jobs and fund crucial services for residents.
But the bill also comes with a number of provisions that give the state more control over local decisions.
Here are some things you should know:
A major provision of the shared revenue bill requires the city to maintain its current level of staffing for the police and fire departments. The city must use 90% of the revenue generated from the new sales tax to help cover the city’s annual pension contribution and other pension related costs, and 10% to maintain police and fire staffing levels.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
In future years, the revenue generated must be used to hire more police and fire department personnel.
Specifically, the bill requires the city to reach staffing levels of 1,725 law enforcement officers, including 175 detectives, and not fewer than 218 members of the paid fire department staff within 10 years from 2024, when the new tax will first be imposed.
Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, Milwaukee Public Schools is required to hire 25 school resource officers to work within local schools and at school-related events. Resource officers have not been placed at schools since 2016, the result of a push by students and others to have them removed.
Though we are likely to see a significant increase in the number of police and fire department employees, the entity charged with overseeing those groups, the Fire and Police Commission, has had its powers reduced.
Specifically, the legislation removes the role of the commission in setting policies for the fire and police departments and transfers them to the chiefs of the respective departments. In addition, at least one commission member would need to be selected from a list provided by the police and fire unions.
Two Fire and Police Commission members, Chairman Edward Fallone and Vice Chair Amanda Avalos, resigned to protest the action.
The legislation allows the city to modify policies established by the chiefs with a two-thirds vote by the full Common Council.
Johnson told reporters during a luncheon last month that the Fire and Police Commission maintains the power to appoint positions and oversee the departments.
Sales tax money gained from local governments in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, can no longer be used to fund any positions with principal duties of promoting individuals based on their sexual orientation, gender, race, color or national origin. It also prevents preferences in hiring or contracting based on those identifiers.
Officials will face additional challenges in funding or expanding The Hop MKE, also known as the Milwaukee Streetcar, in future years. The shared revenue bill prohibits revenue from property tax levies or sales taxes be used for development, operations or maintenance of a streetcar system.
City and county officials must identify all the buildings that are not being used – those which each entity has the power to sell. Both governmental entities must also submit a plan to the Joint Finance Committee on the use of or sale of those buildings.
An independent audit will be required of the Office of Violence Prevention. The findings will be submitted to the Legislature.

created: August 1, 2023

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
47048093554_8ccfc8ac56_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 31, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 31, 2023


text:
NNS on ‘Lake Effect’: 5 things to do in August in Milwaukee neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
August 2, 2023
NNS’ Chesnie Wardell  joined WUWM 89.7-FM, Milwaukee’s NPR and Joy Powers of “Lake Effect” for the August installment of our monthly “5 Things” feature.
Click here to read or listen.
This month includes Bronzeville Week festivities; Back to School Community Fair; Celebrity game and 3 vs 3 tournament in honor of “Tay Day”; ninth annual Lift Up Every Baby event; and a Grab and Go at Owen’s Place.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

created: August 2, 2023


text:
51932804399_123c1ad11a_h-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
53087568138_71668a548b_k-1-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
VIA launches effort to build affordable starter homes in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
August 2, 2023
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct Lincoln Park to Layton Park in a quote by JoAnna Bautch, executive director of VIA.
Since 2008, VIA Community Development Corporation has run its turnkey program, which transforms vacant bank and city-owned properties into fully renovated, move-in-ready homes for qualified families looking to purchase throughout Milwaukee.
Now the organization plans to build 1,100 square-foot starter homes valued at about $110,000. VIA hopes to break ground this month.
It also is collaborating with organizations like the United Community Center, which provides first-time homebuyer classes to get residents down payment assistance of a minimum of $10,000.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
VIA, formerly known as Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, serves the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods. It focuses on economic development, housing and community leadership and has been serving the community since 1995.
“When I first started, Layton Park ended at Lincoln Avenue and, for me, I just didn’t think that that was equitable,” said JoAnna Bautch, the executive director of VIA. “I didn’t think that there was a good explanation to our neighbors as to why we serve some folks in the Layton Park neighborhood and some folks we don’t serve.”
VIA now serves residents who live east of 27th Street to 43rd and Pierce streets to Cleveland Avenue.
VIA also works to build community through civic engagement.
“While we educate a lot on voting, we recognize that not everybody can cast a ballot, for whatever reason,” said Brisa Van Galen, the group’s community outreach director. “We try to think of programs and initiatives to help people understand that they still have a voice … (and) that they can still participate.”
You can follow VIA on Facebook and check out its website.


text:
51932804399_123c1ad11a_h-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
51932804399_123c1ad11a_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
52991505595_330a45ddf5_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
53087568138_71668a548b_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
53087568138_71668a548b_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 1, 2023


text:
Hot pursuit: Milwaukee police chases now top 1,000 per year. Some prove deadly. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonah Chester / Wisconsin Watch and WPR
August 3, 2023
At 1:06 a.m. on AAg. 1, 2019, Le’Quon McCoy was driving through a North Side Milwaukee intersection when the driver of a stolen Buick Encore ran a flashing red light and crashed into McCoy’s Jeep Renegade.
The speeding driver, who was fleeing police, hit McCoy’s Jeep so hard that it bounced off a tree on one side of the road and into a parked car on the other side. McCoy, 19, died at the scene.
“He got off work around like 9 or 10 at night. He stopped here to see me,” his mother, Antoinette Broomfield recalled. “He told me he would be to see me the next day, and he was going to drop a friend off at home. And that’s the last time I heard from him.”
The death of McCoy — described as a warm, outgoing, “big teddy bear” with many friends — inflicted a still-unhealed wound, Broomfield said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
A court sentenced Aaron Fitzgerald, the driver of the stolen Buick, to 10 years in prison and eight years of extended supervision related to McCoy’s death.
But Broomfield’s quest for accountability didn’t end there. She’s suing the city of Milwaukee and four officers who pursued Fitzgerald. Broomfield, whose attorney was present while she spoke to Wisconsin Watch and WPR, said the officers could have averted the tragedy by calling off a high-speed pursuit that spanned residential and commercial streets.
Broomfield’s lawsuit, filed in March 2022, comes during a 20-fold surge of police chases in the years since Milwaukee loosened restrictions for pursuits — reaching an average of nearly three per day in 2022, according to Milwaukee Police Department records.
The department engaged in 1,028 chases in 2022, up from 50 in 2012, according to data provided through an open records request. The 2021 tally was even higher: 1,078. It eclipsed all years since at least 2002, according to a 2019 Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission report.
The trend unfolds as Milwaukee grapples with a spike of reckless and deadly driving.
More pursuits mean more chances of injuries to fleeing suspects, officers and other responders and third parties like McCoy who become unwittingly involved.
In 2022, for example, 132 pursuits injured at least one suspect, and 36 pursuits resulted in at least one third-party injury, data show. Officers faced injuries in five pursuits.
During more than 6,600 pursuits from 2007 to 2022, fleeing suspects were injured in 13% of pursuits, followed by third parties (4%) and officers (1%), according to an analysis of the 2019 Fire and Police Commission report and other data obtained by Wisconsin Watch and WPR.
The toll of Milwaukee pursuits hasn’t ebbed this year. Four this year were recorded as fatal through June 26, the data show.
“There are good reasons not to permit the escape of dangerous criminals,” Broomfield’s lawsuit says. “But sometimes it is preferable to simply prolonging the danger to innocent motorists and pedestrians that occurs if a pursuit is not terminated.”
Milwaukee’s full count of police pursuit casualties is unclear.
For example, although three people died last year when a pursued Toyota Avalon plunged off a bridge and erupted into flames, police records for that crash say it ended in “subject injury,” “violator death” and “third party injury.” One woman was hit and injured as the driver fled police, according to media reports.
Also not logged in the Fire and Police Commission report: instances of injuries occurring just after a pursuit was canceled.
Official police records often paint an incomplete picture of the impact of pursuits, said Jonathan Farris, chief advocate for the Wisconsin-based Pursuit for Change, which seeks to limit police pursuit casualties. Farris lost his son in 2007 when a driver fleeing a Massachusetts State Police trooper crashed into a cab his son was in, killing him and the cab driver.
Farris points to a 2015 USA Today investigation that found the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration significantly undercounted police pursuit deaths over several decades.
“Most of us who have been following this for a fair number of years have seen more than enough examples of pursuits that were not logged,” Farris said.
The Milwaukee Police Department cites a nationwide surge in deadly driving as one of several factors leading to more police pursuits. Milwaukee’s loosened restrictions on pursuits have permitted officers to crack down on reckless driving and vehicle-based crimes in recent years, said Inspector Craig Sarnow, who has spent much of his 24-year department career in roles that monitor and investigate pursuits.
“I can recall back to my time as a patrol sergeant, when the policy was more restrictive,” he said. “We used to have individuals that would try to bait Milwaukee police officers into getting into pursuits knowing full well that we couldn’t because our policy was so restrictive.”
But safety advocates say Milwaukee’s previous, more restrictive policy — adopted in 2010 under then-Chief Edward Flynn following a string of deadly pursuits — made progress that has since been erased. The policy allowed pursuits in narrower scenarios, generally when an officer had probable cause that a violent felony had occurred or was about to occur — or if someone posed a “clear and immediate threat to the safety of others.”
Police under Flynn’s policy made fewer arrests related to pursuits compared to before the policy was implemented, but they also saw fewer pursuits ending in injuries.
A policy tweak in 2015 allowed police to pursue a vehicle if the vehicle was involved in a violent felony. That change allowed officers to pursue carjacked vehicles. Pursuits more than doubled that year, compared with 2014.
Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission in 2017 ordered Flynn to further loosen the policy, allowing pursuits in reckless driving cases, or when a car was linked to drug dealing. Pursuits in 2018 spiked to 940 from 369 the previous year. The number of pursuits ending in officer, suspect and/or third-party injury also swelled, with instances in each category more than tripling.
The public safety risk of pursuing those suspected of nonviolent crimes outweighs the risk from the violation itself, said Mark Priano, a board member with the advocacy nonprofit PursuitSAFETY. He lost his 15-year-old daughter in 2002 after a teenaged driver fleeing police ran a stop sign and struck the family’s minivan; she died a week later after slipping into a coma, according to media reports.
“These pursuit-related deaths or injuries are not accidents,” Priano said. “This was a planned event that could have been controlled.”
Safety advocates point to Milwaukee as an example of the consequences of rolling back a restrictive pursuit policy, said Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and an expert in high-risk police activities.
“Cops like to chase. It’s exciting. It’s a fun thing to do,” he said.
Alpert, who also sits on an advisory board for PursuitSAFETY, described the back-and-forth between Flynn and the Fire and Police Commission over pursuit policies and the ensuing surge in pursuit-related injuries as a “horror story.”
Pursuit reform often follows a cyclical pattern, Alpert said: more restrictive pursuit policies following injuries and deaths prove unpopular within police departments, prompting a return to the previous status quo.
Companies are pitching to police a range of technologies aiming to reduce risky pursuits. They include high-tech GPS trackers, tire deflation tools and even a grappling device that might appear Batman-inspired — allowing an officer to entangle a fleeing vehicle to decelerate it.
Milwaukee police in 2016 started attaching GPS tags to certain cars, allowing for tracking in lieu of a pursuit, but that was later discontinued. Neither that nor other methods worked as well as traditional pursuits, the department says.
https://youtu.be/d3nzWu3GIg8?t=16An Arizona Department of Public Safety video shows a sergeant successfully deploying the Grappler Police Bumper, netting a vehicle’s rear tires and bringing it to a safe stop on June 10, 2023, as officers responded to reports of vehicles involved in intersection takeovers.
Before the Fire and Police Commission approved the latest version of Milwaukee’s pursuit policy last summer, one commissioner asked if alternatives existed to catch reckless drivers.
Nicholas DeSiato, the police department’s chief of staff, called nearly all alternatives “practically impractical.”
“They can be effective when appropriate, but it also requires incredible coordination and, sometimes, just dumb luck,” he said. “In terms of a hot pursuit, to effectively combat reckless driving, it’s a necessary tool.”
Priano of PursuitSAFETY acknowledged the need for police pursuits in certain situations. He advocates for restricting them to catch violent felony offenders — while finding other ways to deal with other reckless drivers.
As reckless driving persists, Sarnow doesn’t expect new restrictions on pursuits any time soon. But the department remains open to reviewing alternatives.
“We’d be remiss if we didn’t revisit these things, because things change right?” Sarnow said. “And we have to make sure that we’re staying on the forefront.”
Madison, Wisconsin’s second largest city, has limited police pursuits as Milwaukee’s number surges. The Madison Police Department logged just 20 pursuits in 2022, about 2% of Milwaukee’s count, records show.
Madison has just under half of Milwaukee’s population and has logged no more than 27 annual police pursuits since 2016, even amid leadership changes and local reckless driving challenges.
Madison police use a stricter pursuit policy than Milwaukee’s: Officers may initiate pursuits only when they have probable cause that a suspect is committing, has just committed or is about to commit a felony —– similar to Milwaukee’s former policy. A sergeant monitors the chase and can call it off. Additionally, officers must follow many traffic rules — including stopping at red lights and stop signs, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
The department also uses surveillance cameras and tire-deflating spike strips, Barnes said. If a suspect gets away, officers use detective work to locate them.
Barnes, who years ago as a rookie drove his police cruiser through a fence and hit a tree during a pursuit on a rainy day (he was uninjured), said his department’s safety-focused culture leads to fewer pursuits.
“Anyone who thinks a pursuit is out of policy or not safe — if you stop that pursuit, no one will say anything about that,” he said. “Because you’re ultimately responsible for what happens with that vehicle.”
Still, Barnes doesn’t fault Milwaukee for pursuing more cars under its looser policy, suggesting that comparing Madison to Milwaukee is not apples to oranges.
Milwaukee “may have more criminality, and we’re all dealing with the stolen car epidemic,” he said. “I think they’re trying to get a handle on it, just like we all are, and they’re doing what’s best for their community.”
The judge presiding over Broomfield’s suit has put the trial on indefinite hold, as both her attorneys and the city’s attorneys finish preparations.
“There are police pursuits virtually every day of the week,” U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller said while presiding over a May pretrial hearing. “To suggest that each and every one of these cases exposes the officers to liability is very much an open question, at least in the mind of this judge.”
While Broomfield awaits the start of the trial, she’s trying to take care of her mental health, with regular trips to see a counselor. She is also getting support from her church congregation. Still, the pain persists.
“My husband ended up passing away from stress from a heart attack from just constantly being in pain and worrying about it,” she said. “My daughter, she’s not the same. She’s different. My son, he’s not the same. … Everybody is grieving.”
“Some days, I don’t even want to get out of bed,” she added. “Some days I just wake up and wish it all was a dream.”
Broomfield wants a more restrictive Milwaukee pursuit policy to prevent other families from feeling similar pain.
Her lawsuit isn’t about money, she said, and she also seeks accountability related to the pursuit that killed her son.
“I know everybody makes mistakes,” she said through tears. “Why couldn’t I even just get an apology that it happened to my child?”
News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific issues, interests, perspectives and information needs identified by residents of central city Milwaukee neighborhoods. Learn more at our website or sign up for our texting service here.

created: August 3, 2023

author: Jonah Chester / Wisconsin Watch and WPR


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
police_pursuit_001.JPG | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
Milwaukee more dangerous for women of color, new data shows | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
August 3, 2023
Milwaukee is a more dangerous place than it was four years ago.
Especially for women of color.
“I think pretty much any indicator of violence you look at has gone up,” Carmen Pitre, CEO and president of Sojourner Family Peace Center, said. Sojourner is a nonprofit that supports and advocates for victims of abuse and violence.
After a period of steady decline of homicides and shootings in Milwaukee County, the number of victims has jumped each year since 2019, according to data from the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
In 2019, there were 542 such victims. Three years later, that number jumped to 1,083, an increase of roughly 100%.
Women of color are far more likely to be killed by an intimate partner or men they know.
According to 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 34% of female victims of homicide and “nonnegligent manslaughter” were killed by an intimate partner, compared to 6% for men.
In Milwaukee, the situation is further layered by race and ethnicity.
Black women are more likely to be killed by someone they know than their racial/ethnic counterparts, according to data requested by NNS from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Of the 21 women who were killed in 2022 under abusive circumstances, 17 of them were Black; three were Latina and one was Asian, according to police data.
This public data is consistent with data compiled by Sojourner, which indicates that the majority of serious abuse takes place primarily in Milwaukee Police Department  Districts 3, 4 and 7 on the North Side.
Violence is perhaps the most visible form of abuse and is more easily tracked. Yet abuse also can be verbal, emotional, financial and spiritual.
For example, in the Hispanic/Latina community, a male abuser may threaten a woman with immigration issues, along with the threat of deportation and the possibility of being separated from her children, said Roderick Richardson, UMOS spokesperson.
UMOS is a nonprofit that helps underserved populations.
Spotting abuse, therefore, is not as straightforward as looking for bruises or broken limbs.
One clear sign is if someone is consistently isolating themselves, said Danielle Romain Dagenhardt, assistant professor in criminal justice and criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“Part of that can be real, legitimate things going on in their life, but if it’s a very sharp change without some understandable reasons on why they’re pulling back so much from family and friends, that can be a warning sign that the person they’re in a relationship with might be really controlling,” Romain Dagenhardt said.
A common red flag, said Romain Dagenhardt, is “if a partner of a person insults them in front of other people, especially if it’s insulting really minor things that they’re doing, making it seem like it’s a big deal – insulting the way they look, the way they act, who they are as a person.”
“It shows that they’re comfortable with … demeaning that person not only in private but in public spaces,” she added.
Cindy Milner, who is a licensed clinician of social work and has worked in Milwaukee with victims of violence and abuse for several years, emphasized how victims of abuse can carry a sense of helplessness or powerlessness around with them.
“Victims of abuse will often be more submissive on the job,” she said. “They may have difficulty standing up for themselves and being assertive. They may not be able to trust their judgment, so they rely on others to, kind of, guide them through that.”
Another reason advocates say it is valuable to focus on abuse and violence against women is the ripple effects these have on children.
Women are far more likely to be the caretakers in a family, so an attack on them leaves children in far more unpredictable, dangerous situations.
In Pitre’s experience, children move approximately three to four times in the first six months following a violent incident, she said.
“These kids live in fear,” Milner said. “They may develop post-traumatic stress disorder. They’re very anxious. They’re very depressed. There’s a lot of cortisol in their system. And it’s very likely they may experience some physical problems, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue … . So there are a lot of dynamics.”
——————————-
The City of Milwaukee maintains a webpage with links to resources and information.
There also are several different organizations throughout the city that serve various populations, and various needs.
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

author: Devin Blake


text:
24792619646_a2e14382f6_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
nns-12-year-email-banner-digital-rsvp-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
New leader of Bronzeville Center for the Arts plans to celebrate African American art, history and culture | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
August 3, 2023
The beginning phases of a destination arts museum have brought a new face to Milwaukee.
Robert Parker, a career historian, has come to the city as the first executive director and chief executive officer of the Bronzeville Center for the Arts. He will take the lead in establishing an art museum in the heart of the Bronzeville neighborhood.
Parker has spent his career preserving African American history as well as developing public history institutions, most recently as the inaugural executive director at The Chickasaw Nation’s Chickasaw Inkana Foundation in Tupelo, Mississippi.
He has served in various roles for organizations dedicated to national parks, monuments and historical sites. He also is on  the National Board of Directors for the Association of African American Museums.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Robert is just a wonderful director of community-based presentations,” said Elizabeth Clark-Lewis, a mentor of Parker’s. “He is proficient in helping the general public understand the importance of community-based institutions.”
“We are thrilled to have Robert join and lead the organization at such a pivotal time,” said Kristen Hardy, chair of the Bronzeville Center for the Arts board. “Robert shares our vision and has practical, hands-on experience, combined with a track record of success in museum development, fundraising campaigns and exhibit coordination. We are confident that Robert is the leader we need to bring the BCA vision to life.”
In his new role at the Bronzeville Center for the Arts, or BCA, Parker will oversee the planning, design, construction, community engagement and operation elements of the center’s two Bronzeville developments: Gallery 507 and the future destination arts museum.
“I think what was most intriguing about the project was this idea of creating a new space to celebrate African American art, history and culture, with the emphasis on art first,” said Parker. “And from that, you have history and culture reflecting the art itself.”
This will be Parker’s third time helping design a public institution from scratch. With the other projects under his belt and his wealth of knowledge from other experiences, Parker said the destination art museum just feels like continuing his work.
This was never work Parker planned on doing, though. He initially planned to teach history.
“I’ve realized that I didn’t have to teach it in the confines of an academic setting or a classroom,” he said. “Now the world is my classroom with museums. And in public spaces, you can still teach and help people connect to the importance and significance of art, objects, artifacts, things that are of either historical or importance.”
Developing public history institutions is a passion that he intends to share with Milwaukee. He wants people to understand the educational value that a museum brings to communities, specifically for schools surrounding it.
The museum is still in the planning phase, but leaders are hopeful it will be up and running by 2026.
“This project brought me to Milwaukee, and I’m confident it will do the same for visitors from across the state and nation,” Parker said.
To follow the BCA project, go to www.BCAMKE.org.


text:
52927967503_0d5e7c5865_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 2, 2023


text:
5 things to know and do the weekend of Aug. 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
August 4, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 granted African Americans the right to vote without facing discriminatory barriers. Join a national broadcast celebrating the 58th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on Saturday, Aug. 5 beginning at noon at 3000 N. Sherman Blvd. This free event is a chance for you to meet and connect with civil rights leaders, community activists, and others. More information here.
El Conquistador Latino Newspaper is hosting a festival full of contests, entertainment and vendors to celebrate countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 5 on South Fourth Street from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  More information here.
ApeMode Apparel, a clothing brand in Milwaukee, is hosting its first back to school giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Roosevelt Middle School, 800 W. Walnut St. Free school supplies and ApeMode backpacks will be given to children. Food and other fun activities will contribute to this event, which runs from noon to 3 p.m. More information here.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, Amani United will have its bike trail informational session, featuring a discussion of an anticipated bike trail, housing resources, and other updates in the neighborhood. This session takes place at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St. More information here.
Top your summer off by attending “Shakespeare in the Park,” being held by Optimist Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Forest Home Cemetery, 2405 W. Forest Home Ave. Actors will bring Shakespeare’s stellar works to life. Feel free to bring a chair to watch the performances at 5 p.m. More information here.
In case you missed it: NNS on ‘Lake Effect’: 5 things to do in August in Milwaukee neighborhoods

created: August 4, 2023


text:
53092055811_332b7927e6_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 3, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 3, 2023


text:
Here’s where you can find free or discounted school supplies (and how you can help others) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
August 4, 2023
With young students returning to school soon, it’s time to start thinking about where to get school supplies such as backpacks, notebooks and pencils.
The cost of these can add up quickly but, luckily, churches, community organizations and others are organizing drives for families in our neighborhoods.
Most of the drives require your child to be present to receive free supplies.
Back to school community fair:  Saturday, Aug.5
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd., will host its annual back to school community fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will feature community organizations, and free food and free backpacks will be available.
Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center’s Back to school event: Thursday, Aug. 10
The event will take place at 930 W. Historic Mitchell St. from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and will include full backpack giveaways, Indian tacos, popsicles, balloon twisting and face painting.
You must have a tribal ID or proof of descendance.
Wellpoint Care Network’s Back-to-School Bash: Thursday, Aug. 10
This event will be at Wellpoint Care Network, 8901 W. Capitol Drive, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be free backpacks stocked with school supplies, free haircuts, bounce houses and a video game party bus.
You can RSVP to request a backpack.
If there is bad weather, the event will be held on Friday, Aug. 11.
Hmong American Friendship Association’s 16th Annual Back To School & Health Resource Fair: Saturday, Aug. 12
This event will be at 3824 W. Vliet St. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and staff will hand out backpacks with school supplies to students in the community. Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive items. There will also be free games, activities, food, music and live performances.
Hey Gworl Back To School Hair Service: Saturday, Aug. 12 to Sunday, Aug.13
This nonprofit is offering hair services to 30 amazing girls ages  4 to 18. The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 2435 W. National Ave.
Registration is required.
COA’s Beyond the Book Bag event: Friday, Aug. 25
The event will take place at Moody Park, 2320 W. Burleigh St., from noon to 3 p.m. It will include face painting, free food, a school supplies giveaway and community resources.
Back-to-School Family Rally: Saturday, Aug.26
This community event will take place at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 2207 N. 2nd St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers will provide free school supplies to families and will have family-friendly activities, a craft corner, entertainment and food vendors.
You must register your family by Aug. 18 to receive supplies.
Blessed Savior Catholic School Back to School Kick-off: Saturday, Aug.26
The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5140 N. 55th St. and will provide community resources, activities for children, free school supplies, food and a DJ.
Holy Miracle Christian Church Back to School Bash:  Saturday, Aug. 26
This event will be held at 5900 W. Center St. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will offer free backpacks, school supplies and clothing.
Jelly Sosa’s Hair Bakery Back to School event: Sunday, Aug. 27
This event at 1123 W. Oklahoma Ave., will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will offer free haircuts, manicures, mini photo shoots and school supplies to students under 16. Jelly Sosa’s Hair Bakery is accepting donations for this event.
Milwaukee Public Schools is collecting school supplies, in-kind and monetary donations to purchase supplies through Sept. 30.
Capuchin Community Services is collecting in-kind and monetary donations now through Aug. 18.
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is collecting donations to purchase school supplies.
The Milwaukee Rescue Mission is collecting in-kind and monetary donations.
As part of the ninth Annual Sleepover for Education, Tracey Dent, executive director of Peace for Change Alliance, is collecting in-kind and monetary donations to bring school supplies to one MPS school. The sleepover will take place Aug. 11-Aug. 12.
First Day Fits is accepting clothing for young people returning to school.


text:
50246043021_6150277737_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 3, 2023


text:
FINALNNS12YEARPROMO-5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 3, 2023


text:
5 things to know and do the week of Aug. 7 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
August 7, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Prestige MKE hosts Motivational Mondays, a mentorship  program that helps young men obtain basic skills like car maintenance while instilling values to help them in life. This free event, offered the first Monday of each month, takes place Monday, Aug. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1111 W. Historic Mitchell St. More information here.
The Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers has a series of free workshops for children and families to enjoy activities connected to the Kinnickinnic River. These include learning how to fish and taking canoeing trips. This workshop begins Monday, Aug. 7 and lasts until Monday, Aug. 14. The workshops take place at Pulaski Park, 2677 S. 16th St. from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. More information here.
Wellpoint Care Network is throwing a free back-to- school bash on Thursday, Aug. 10 that features a backpack giveaway, haircuts and more activities. The event takes place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 8901 W. Capitol Drive. Registration is required. In case you missed it: Here’s where you can find free or discounted school supplies (and how you can help others)
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Vendors from Chicago will join their counterparts in Milwaukee for a market venture Friday, Aug. 11 at The Cooperage, 822 S. Water St., from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Come for food, drinks and shopping. More information here.
A three-day celebration by TRUE Skool will honor the 50th annual anniversary of hip-hop culture at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St.  The event begins Friday, Aug. 11 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 13. The days will include opportunities to network; a festival open to the public; a boat cruise fundraiser for adults ages 21 and up; and more activities. Times for these specific events vary. More information here.
Welcome to NNSpirit Week. We are celebrating our 12 anniversary and asking our community of readers to donate. As a nonprofit newsroom, your support makes our work possible, and when you donate to NNS, you are giving the gift of news to your neighbor. Help us reach our goal of raising $12,000 in honor of our 12th anniversary!

created: August 7, 2023


text:
36006521121_ff02e5a62f_h | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023

created: August 6, 2023


text:
NNSPIRITWEEKPROMO | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
Inside the NNS Newsroom: Celebrate with us during NNSpirit Week (and donate!) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 7, 2023
Welcome to NNSpirit Week!
Although we normally report about you, we are using this week to talk about NNS, our mission and to encourage you to donate so what we can continue to provide free, reliable and professional reporting to you and your neighbors.
In 2011, NNS Founding Editor Sharon McGowan and a team of four part-time reporters started on an epic journey: to give Milwaukee residents of color the newsroom they deserve through professional reporting.
A lot has changed since then, including a crisis in local journalism that leaves us with fewer reporters during a time when nonpartisan information is needed more than ever.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
But one thing remains the same: NNS is still here, now with a full-time staff of seven and two part-timers. And we plan to grow our newsroom even larger to meet the needs of our neighbors.
We provide news –free of charge—to those who need it most. We publish to inform and to transform. And all our donations go to support our newsroom staffing and operations.
As a nonprofit newsroom, our work will always be free to read. But our labor is not.
So help us celebrate our 12th anniversary by donating. No gift is too small. No donation is too big.
Help us reach our goal of raising $12,000 in honor of our 12th anniversary!


text:
They missed out on their quinceañera when they were 15. Decades later, they make up for lost time. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 7, 2023
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the address of the United Community Center’s Senior Center.
As they shared their life histories, members of the sewing group at the United Community Center’s Senior Center realized they had more in common than a joy for stitching and embroidering fabric.
Fifteen of them never had a quinceañera, or quince, a Latin American cultural celebration that marks the transition of a 15-year-old girl into a young woman.
“It was more of a dream for us,” said Sonia Castro, 75, adding that her family in Puerto Rico was large and couldn’t afford one.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Guadalupe Schneider, of Mexico City, also wished for a quinceañera as her 15th birthday neared.
“I dreamed of having a party, but I didn’t have that many friends or the family situation to have one,” she said.
That all changed recently, as the group of seniors wore gowns and tiaras, danced and celebrated their decades-delayed quinceañeras.
“It was like a dream come true,” Castro said. “I felt nerves in my stomach like I was 15 years old.”
Migdalia Estela, 76, who was married with children by the time she turned 15 in her native Puerto Rico, said the event taught her to not give up on dreams.
“Don’t give up. It’s never too late,” said Estela, who carried a group picture from the dance in her purse.
More than 120 seniors make their way daily to the United Community Center’s Senior Center, 730 W. Washington St., to participate in a number of activities offered there, according to elderly programs manager Ana Castaneda. They include sewing, exercise, dominoes and sitting down to enjoy free meals together, she added.
The United Community Center, also known as the UCC, provides senior day care for those who live with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and the only memory clinic in southeast Wisconsin that provides Spanish-speaking staff.
The goal of the center, Castaneda said, is “to give a better quality of life to people and help them be active so they can see how it helps their bodies and minds feel so much better.”
Planning the quince began more than eight months ago and included choosing decorations for the event, dance rehearsals and the recruitment of chambelanes, or male companions for the event. Chambelanes included family members of the women, police officers from Districts 1,2, and 7 and staff from UCC, including a bus driver and custodian.
As they worked on the logistics, the sewing group, led by its instructor Vicki Vasquez, helped the woman prepare their dresses. Some created their own from scratch, while others added accessories to personalize dresses they obtained.
Carmen Roman, 70, said she was gifted a dress that was from a young woman who never got a chance to wear it.
“As I wore it, I thought of her,” she said.
Vasquez said the sewing group and other activities offered at UCC provide an escape for seniors who often felt isolated at home.
“Here we are like family and all come together to have fun,” she said.
Maria Rosario Gonzalez joined the group eight years ago to help escape her depression.
“I sat at home staring at four walls until I heard of this group,” said Rosario Gonzalez, who wore a tiara gifted to her by her granddaughter during the event. “Coming here revived me.”
The quinceañera fulfilled a fantasy for many of them who had hard lives and missed out on those types of experiences, Vasquez said.
“Many of the women were so happy they cried,” she said. “I cried too because their dream came true.”
Not all had bad memories or regrets from their 15th birthday. Socorro Robles, 74, said that day she wore a white dress, went to church and celebrated with a small cake and her family later on. The highlight of her day was that her mother allowed her to wear lipstick.
Still, finally having a bigger quince is something the youngest of eight children from Jalisco, Mexico, will always cherish.
“It was perfect, memorable and beautiful,” she said.
Catalina Flores, 76, will remember it as the day her 46-year-old son Pedro came from Virginia to be her chambelan.
“That made me so happy,” Flores said. “It was an emotional day, and we all looked so beautiful with our dresses.”
Ramona Rosado, 67,  said seeing her family also made her day.
“My grandson told me: ‘Grandma, I’m so happy for you because I’ve never seen you so happy,’ ” Rosado said.
Roman said she hopes the event reminds those at UCC and the broader community that although their bodies may have changed, many seniors are still beautiful, young at heart, and have many dreams they hope to achieve.
“If you know someone who never had a quince let them know it is still possible,” she said.


text:
53086634317_e639f04b1d_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53086634322_4f18afa13d_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53087199991_bc7e6041c6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53087386909_a0472c91bc_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53087606205_6b3af596a6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53087695123_0a4048afbf_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53089637216_b38a703492_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53090027400_36ba35e2ea_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53092434102_08271fa48b_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53093003446_039eb49b52_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53093177674_3f4c644510_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53093401640_355a814f73_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
53093401640_355a814f73_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
NNSPIRITWEEKPROMO-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 6, 2023


text:
MATC welding program teaches incarcerated students how to learn-and earn | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
August 8, 2023
Generally, the unemployment rate for people who have been incarcerated is sky high.
An analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative, for example, found formerly incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of over 27%. That’s higher than the total U.S. unemployment rate during any historical period, including the Great Depression, according to the report.
But the men who graduated recently with a welding fundamentals certificate from Milwaukee Area Technical College, or MATC, will almost certainly not have that problem.
A trade like welding, said Isaias Carver, “will just put me in a better spot.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Carver was one of the five people who graduated with a welding fundamentals certificate as part of MATC’s Second Chance Pell Grant program, which provides federal funding for students who are incarcerated.
During the 16-week program, students learn the skills needed for basic production welding, said David Lunz, an instructor in the Manufacturing, Construction and Transportation Academic Pathway at MATC.
Welders are vital to many industries, including construction, automotive and manufacturing.
“This certificate gives them pretty much everything they need … to go into a job interview and pass a welding test and a blueprint test for a basic entry-level job,” Lunz said.
Students who earn their welding fundamentals certificate can continue their training at MATC by pursuing a technical diploma or associate degree, said Sadique Isahaku, MATC’s dean of General Education Academic & Career Pathway.
During the graduation ceremony in May, Kevin Carr, secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, told the men that “demand for skilled workers like you is high.”
Exact estimates vary, but the average hourly post-release wage for those who have completed a welding program like MATC’s is above $20, Carr said.
Carver said he particularly enjoyed discovering the science behind welding.
“I’m learning what electrodes to use, to different positions, to following blueprints to make a project,” he said.
James Tombs, another May graduate, said he was proud he completed the program.
“The finished product – once you see something that you made with your hands … I can’t explain it. It’s a sense of accomplishment,” he said.
Lunz said his students know that the program offers them a rare opportunity.
“They’re not just coming here to get out of jail,” he said. “They’re actually putting in the work, and they’re interested in learning. They’re real eager to learn.”
The Second Chance Pell Grant program is for students who are incarcerated, but people who would like to learn about it can go to MATC’s webpage.
More information about the welding program at MATC in general also is available.
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: August 8, 2023


text:
52946296383_85bf1872fe_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 7, 2023


text:
NNSPIRITWEEKPROMO-3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 7, 2023


text:
NNSpirit Week: 12 years of NNS, 12 memorable news stories | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service staff
August 8, 2023
As we celebrate 12 years of serving you, we decided to take a look back at 12 stories we feel embody our mission: to give residents who are often underserved by other media the newsroom they deserve through professional reporting.
It’s all part of NNSpirit Week!
Help us reach our goal of raising $12,000 in honor of our 12th anniversary!
The last time Hector Arenas had any contact with law enforcement officials was when he was 22. Fifteen years later, he was removed from his home by immigration officers and deported to Mexico, leaving behind five children and their mother.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Unpaid traffic tickets are leading to a growing number of driver’s license suspensions for impoverished, minority Milwaukeeans.
Many undocumented immigrants from Milwaukee County who were deported as a result of the federal Secure Communities program were guilty of misdemeanor offenses, such as driving without a license, according to a new report.
The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, is rarely used to combat segregation and restrictive suburban zoning regulations.
African Americans make up the majority of residents arrested on charges of violating Milwaukee’s stay-at-home order, according to data obtained from the Milwaukee Police Department through a public records request.
Of the 309 drug deaths in Milwaukee County this year through Oct. 15, 84 percent were caused by opioids, and 70 percent of the victims lived in the City of Milwaukee.
The closing of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons will affect the future of our state’s most vulnerable youths. Many leaders say New York is a model for how young people should be treated. We travel to the Big Apple to see if there are lessons we can learn for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee lacks an overall picture of where guns used in shootings and other crimes originate from, which could possibly solve other crimes and identify trends to help create new approaches to prevent crime.
Milwaukee ranks second in poverty among the top 50 most populated cities in the United States, with 24.6% of the city living in poverty. Here are some reasons why.
Fewer kids are playing sports, including baseball in Milwaukee, as the competitive gap between baseball in the city and suburbs continues to grow.
Family members and mental health advocates have expressed concern about the safety of patients at Granite Hills Hospital, the psychiatric hospital contracted to serve Milwaukee County residents.
Despite a record-breaking rise in drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County over the past several years, the number of drug-related arrests in the city has declined.


text:
nns7 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 7, 2023


text:
Inside the NNS Newsroom: Meet Meredith Melland, our new neighborhoods reporter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
August 9, 2023
Hello, Milwaukee!
I’m Meredith Melland, the newest reporter joining the team at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service to cover neighborhoods as a Report for America corps member.
As a journalist, I’m excited to serve a need in local news coverage, and as a new Milwaukee resident, I can’t wait to get to know the city’s communities and neighborhoods through your stories.
In the short time I’ve been in Milwaukee, seeds planted from dirt at my apartment have sprung up into grass. I hope I also can grow roots and absorb the city around me.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
I’m originally from Stoughton, Wisconsin, though I’ve always enjoyed visiting Milwaukee.
I joined my high school’s newspaper because I liked writing and learning about new things. I got hooked by the collaborative and passionate energy of the newsroom, and I loved feeling like I was contributing to the well-being of my school, town and society as a whole.
I studied journalism at DePaul University in Chicago, a city (with a public transit system) that I love dearly.
Through my classes and joining the staff at 14 East, DePaul’s online student magazine, I began to think beyond the boundaries of traditional media and developed an interest in reporting stories that directly serve community needs.
What do people need to know to be successful in their daily lives and communities?
My last two and half years were spent working for the Daily Journal in Kankakee, Illinois, as the newspaper’s digital content editor, where I managed the website and social media, edited stories and pages and reported on COVID-19 and other topics.
Report for America is a service program that places early to mid-career journalists into newsrooms across the U.S. to report on undercovered communities or beats.
Becoming a Report for America corps member particularly appealed to me because the program requires volunteering through a service project in youth media outside of the reporting job. Having been a tutor in the past, I love working with kids and learning how their bright, creative minds see the world.
I applied to Report for America and interviewed for the community engagement and neighborhood reporting position at NNS, where I will now be covering neighborhoods and their associations, local nonprofits and people in those communities.
I will also be working with News414, a project of Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that uses text messaging and social media to communicate with residents to help determine their coverage needs.
The main focus of my job is to report on what matters to you; answer questions about the community that might not be easily available; spotlight residents doing good things; explain issues; and share resources.
So, I want to hear about your community. Who are the people and organizations in your neighborhood that are making a positive change? What’s happening on your block that you have questions about? What’s missing from news coverage of your neighborhood?
Since my Report for America training a few weeks ago, I’ve been thinking about the concept that journalists should earn the trust of those they serve instead of expecting it — an idea from Joy Mayer of Trusting News.
I’m honored to have the chance to build that trust. Reporting on Milwaukee’s communities, especially neighborhoods predominantly lived in by people of color on the city’s North and South sides, is a responsibility that I aim to do with respect and sincerity.
To get to know neighborhoods and meet people, I will be out at meetings and community events. I hope to also eat at a lot of local spots, check out thrift shops and libraries, explore parks and fly my kite by the lake.
I value transparency and accuracy, so I’m always happy to explain anything about the reporting process, get feedback and listen to new ideas. My hope is that my reporting will be useful in everyday life and help people connect and engage with the community around them.
You can reach me at meredith.melland@milwaukeenns.org.
I hope to see you around.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: August 9, 2023


text:
53073202871_0b782c404c_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
53073202871_0b782c404c_k-2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
53073202871_0b782c404c_k-3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
53073202871_0b782c404c_k-4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
53073202871_0b782c404c_k-5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
53073202871_0b782c404c_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
NNSpirit Week: 12 years of covering the people making a difference in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 9, 2023
You’re brilliant.
You’re resilient.
And for 12 years, NNS has intentionally celebrated you.
Often, other media come into our neighborhoods to focus on drama and trauma.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Not us.
We know that in order to paint a complete portrait of our communities, we need to prioritize reporting on the people and the organizations who make Milwaukee great.
Here are 12 stories that prove that not every superhero wears a cape. But maybe they should.
Happy NNSpirit Week!
Help us reach our goal of raising $12,000 in honor of our 12th anniversary!
Sure, Milwaukee is a city of concrete. But if you look closer, you also will find a vibrant urban farming community.
For Laura Manriquez, community service has often centered around making sure her neighbors, especially children, have enough to eat every day.
A few years ago, Jesus and Thaime Nañez decided to open the Farmhouse Paint & Sip. It was their first business together, but not their last.
Lupe Martinez hails from a migrant worker family, but for 45 years he’s been CEO of UMOS, an agency that began by helping migrant seasonal workers.
A tragic shooting took her son. A year later, she’s finding new ways to heal and wants to share them with others who are hurting. This is the story of Camille Mays.
Years of work are paying off in the next few weeks for graduates who are walking onto stages around the city to receive their diplomas. Meet four young scholars who are going places.
Tarsha Wiggins, the licensed clinical social worker behind “Trap Therapy,” provides a forum where youths can learn about and discuss mental health issues.
Shawn Payne found himself on the brink of homelessness but still found time to volunteer. Now he is the logistics specialist, truck driver and outreach resource coordinator at the Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center.
Michael Emem grew up in Milwaukee and understands the effect the built environment can have on the mental and physical health of a community.
For 25 years, the nonprofit Ezekiel Community Development Corporation has helped address the need for skilled labor while reducing neighborhood blight.
Washington Park native Jackie Q. Carter is the first woman and first Black person to serve as the director of Port Milwaukee.
Reggie Moore has consoled far too many families who have lost loved ones to violence. And he wants to see more “love in action” instead of “love in crisis.”


text:
CAMILLE | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
EZEKIEL-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
EZEKIEL | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
FOODFAIRY | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
GRADS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
GRADS2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
HARVEST | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
HARVEST2-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
HARVEST2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
JACKIE-CARTER-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
JACKIE-CARTER | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
LUPE | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
MICHAEL-EMINEM-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
MICHAEL-EMINEM | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
NANEZ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
PAYNE-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
PAYNE | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
reggie-moore-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
reggie-moore | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023


text:
TARSHA | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
August 8, 2023