From Litigation to COVID-19 Mitigation: Milwaukee County Courts after two years of the pandemic
Two years ago on March 22, 2020, COVID-19 closed access to public buildings, but not to the courts within them. When the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered the suspension of nearly all in-person hearings, the Milwaukee County Circuit Court already had geared up for the...
Irpin Billboard: Ukrainian Creatives use Milwaukee advertising space to inspire global info campaign
Documenting the destruction of Milwaukee’s sister city of Irpin, Ukraine, a new billboard has gone up along I-94 near 84th Street with a simple plea to local residents: “Milwaukee, your sister city is waiting for your support.” But the story of the billboard’s...
Images from the frontlines: Sergi Mykhalchuk photographs the people of Kyiv living daily with war
Kyiv-based photojournalist and cinematographer Sergi Mykhalchuk, has been on the ground and capturing images of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine since February 24. Milwaukee Independent previously published his evacuation images from Irpin, Milwaukee’s sister...
Irpin under siege: Alderman Rainey asks public to help Milwaukee’s sister city as it faces humanitarian crisis
Milwaukee’s sister city in Ukraine has been under siege for weeks by invading Russian forces, and agencies have been enlisted to facilitate aid to those affected by the crisis. As chair of Milwaukee’s Sister Cities Committee, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey said that the...
Suffering for art: What Mikhail Baryshnikov gets wrong about being punished for a nation’s sins
The Creative Arts have always been a bridge in times of trauma. They can inspire a population struggling with the daily impact of trauma, and teach lessons to later generations who were not alive during such times. Music and dance have also helped bridge cultural...
The guilt of safety: Ukrainian woman finds temporary peace away from war with her Milwaukee family
In the early days of Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I spoke with many members of Milwaukee’s Ukrainian American community. I learned about their personal connections to the war, so that their voices could be shared with the public. During one of the...
Photos from the frontlines: Sergi Mykhalchuk documents images of war as civilians evacuate Irpin
Milwaukee’s sister city remains a strategic area as Russian invasion forces push to the capital city of Kyiv. Irpin has been under siege since March 4 and, like many smaller towns, has been targeted with indiscriminate and heavy bombardments. Lacking the ability...
Happy Days: Milwaukee’s RiverWalk welcomes the return of a newly refreshed Bronze Fonz
After spending several weeks away from its RiverWalk location in downtown Milwaukee for restoration, the Bronze Fonz returned on March 11 with an official unveiling ceremony. The Bronze Fonz is typically refreshed on the RiverWalk to preserve its condition. However,...
Milwaukee hosts inaugural Wisconsin E-Sports Summit as video game industry drives interest in pro gaming
More than one hundred E-Sports influencers and leaders gathered in Milwaukee’s Deer District on March 10 for the first ever Wisconsin Esports Summit. What started in the 1980s, when kids rushed to arcades after school to drop quarters in games like Pac-Man and Space...
Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism: Milwaukee Independent recognized as Finalist for 8 MPC awards
The Milwaukee Press Club announced the winners of its 92nd Annual Gridiron Awards for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism, and Milwaukee Independent was selected as a finalist for 8 features. The recognition brings a total of 48 journalism honors, in competition...
Wisconsin warns public about charity scams claiming to help those affected by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) released information on March 1 urging the public to do their research before sending money to a charity claiming to help those...
Siege of Irpin: Images show conditions in Milwaukee’s sister city as civilians flee Russian bombardment
Urban centers in Ukraine, including Milwaukee’s sister city Irpin, continued to face increasingly heavy bombardment on March 6 and 7 as Russia’s nearly two-week invasion of its neighboring country intensified. Scenes of destruction were reported around the...
