Author: Correspondent

On April 21, the Trump Administration sent letters to nine jurisdictions. The documents threatened to cut federal funding for state and local law enforcement unless the jurisdictions complied with orders from the U.S. Department of Justice. Those orders related to immigration are currently being challenged in Federal courts, which have been ruled unconstitutional thus far. Milwaukee County received this notification from the DOJ, and both the County Executive and a prominent civic leader issued public statements. Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele released the following statement in response to a press release and accompanying letter sent today by the U.S....

Federal support and direct private investment are needed to replace lead service lines in Milwaukee to ensure clean drinking water. Advocating for a stronger partnership with the Federal government, Mayor Tom Barrett today asked President Donald J. Trump to increase federal funds for lead service line replacement efforts in Milwaukee. This year, the City of Milwaukee will partner with the state and federal governments through the State Revolving Funds to utilize $2.6 million in principal forgiveness awarded through Wisconsin’s Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund. However, the limited amounts allowable within the program to replace lead service lines are...

The NCAA announced that the Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Center, Milwaukee’s new state-of-the-art downtown arena slated to open in the fall of 2018, has been tabbed to host NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games in 2022. “This is fantastic news for the state of Wisconsin and another important milestone in the progress of this world-class arena in Milwaukee,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said. “The BMO Harris Bradley Center was a tremendous host for NCAA basketball for many years and we’re thrilled to continue partnering with Marquette to ensure that tradition continues in the new building. We look forward to many...

Milwaukee nonprofit Ex Fabula is wrapping up their 8th season of strengthening community bonds through the art of storytelling with their annual ALL STARS event at Turner Hall Ballroom on Thursday May 18. Throughout the season, community members have come together to listen to true, personal stories and contribute their own, some via UltraShorts, which are written on slips of paper and read by the event emcee, and some told onstage in 5 minutes without notes. All the stories are related to the evening’s theme. For example, “Hidden” at the Milwaukee Public Museum in October or “Only in Milwaukee”...

An award from the National Science Foundation will soon enable Mount Mary to establish the Jewel Scholar program, expanding access to underrepresented students. Mount Mary University has been awarded a $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand access to STEM careers for women and underrepresented students, with the purpose of growing the talent pool of highly skilled scientists in the Milwaukee area. The Jewel Scholars program, named after African-American scientist and educator Jewel Plummer Cobb, will enable the University to establish scholarships and programming for 18 low-income, academically talented students for the next five years. “This is...

Business leader Ossie Kendrix has been named president and CEO with the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin (AACCW), the board of directors announced on April 18. This appointment highlights the increasing importance of continuing to grow the organization and promoting the interests of local diverse businesses. ​“Ossie’s vision and passion for economic development, along with a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership, small business development and advocacy, make him an ideal leader to continue the work that has been started. We look forward to working in concert with his vision for the growth of the organization,” said...