Author: Staff

Common Council rejects COPS grant: Not just about 30 police officers but long-term commitments to change

A joint statement was released on December 16 from members of the Milwaukee Common Council – Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman Nik Kovac, Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Alderman José G. Pérez, Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, and Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II. We were not surprised to see members of the state legislature take the Common Council to task for its decision yesterday to turn down the federal COPS grant that has been at the center of so much debate recently. Some rarely miss an opportunity to speak quickly, one might say...

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Cream City Hostel plans transformation into first cooperative housing for Milwaukee residents

A local ownership group of more than 40 investors from Milwaukee announced on December 9 that it would be transforming its Cream City Hostel building at 500 E. Center Street in the Riverwest neighborhood into the area’s first cooperative housing for Milwaukee residents. RiverBee plans to use a $450,000 program-related investment loan (PRI) from Bader Philanthropies to enable the development. The cooperative tenant housing model is particularly well-suited for the COVID-19 pandemic realities by creating a safe “pod” of known residents, and offering an intentional living community that helps support people dealing with losses and uncertainty such as jobs,...

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Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing identifies pilot who died in Michigan F-16 crash

The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing released the identity of the pilot who died in an F-16 crash in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on December 8. The pilot was Air Force Captain Durwood “Hawk” Jones, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who is survived by his wife and two children. Captain Jones died as a result of the crash during an evening training flight in Michigan’s Hiawatha National Forest. A multi-state, interagency search for the pilot and aircraft immediately followed the crash. The cause of the crash is under investigation. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and...

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COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of the Affordable Care Act for millions of Wisconsinites

Governor Tony Evers, with Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Mark Afable and Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, announced that between November 1 and Novembe 21, 57,558 Wisconsinites enrolled in a healthcare plan for 2021 through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Health Insurance Exchange on Healthcare.gov. Since its enactment, the ACA has helped reduce the number of uninsured, expanded access to affordable coverage, and increased coverage options for rural counties. It has also been the subject of countless ongoing partisan lawsuits attempting to gut healthcare coverage for millions of Americans even during a global pandemic. “Perhaps now...

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Wisconsin to offer more financial assistance for local restaurants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

Governor Tony Evers announced with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) that restaurants and other targeted small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will receive $45 million in assistance, bringing the total assistance distributed to Wisconsin businesses this year to more than $220 million. The program, We’re All In For Restaurants, is aimed at businesses throughout Wisconsin that, as gathering places, have been challenged from the beginning of the pandemic, and are incredibly important employers and community members. “Restaurants and other venues have been among the businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Governor Evers said. “They’ve made the...

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Port Milwaukee to solidify its status as a hub for Great Lakes Cruising with new lease agreement

Port Milwaukee plans to enter into a lease agreement with Pearl Seas Cruises, which would give the company priority docking rights for its cruise ships at Pier Wisconsin, the downtown dock immediately east of Discovery World museum. The Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the agreement at its meeting on December 3. Under the lease, Pearl Seas can extend the initial ten year agreement until 2040. “Pearl Seas has been a great partner with our port, bringing passengers to our city and establishing Milwaukee as a center of Great Lakes cruising,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “Starting with the 2021 cruise...

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