Author: Staff

Hosted at the Potawatomi Hotel on July 10, the Wisconsin Celebration event kicked of the 2019 LULAC National Convention in Milwaukee, featuring a renewed round of support by elected leaders on a range of issues including immigrant drivers permits. Governor Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett shared their support for legislation that would allow immigrants to get a Wisconsin State issued drivers permit. And for the for the first time publicly, Milwaukee Police Department Chief Alfonso Morales offered his support for such legislation, because he said he felt it would reduce reckless driving. “As a Hispanic community, maybe...

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was joined by Puerto Rican leaders in Milwaukee on July 11, who shared the harsh reality still facing the Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. In May, LULAC helped lobby approval for the $19.1 billion Federal Disaster Aid bill, securing nearly $1 billion in immediate relief for the beleaguered island. However, mounting losses continue in the wake of the unprecedented devastation, and more help is needed to prevent problems from spiraling out of control. “Even though almost two years have passed, the people of Puerto Rico are struggling to recover...

For centuries, authors, and typographers developed punctuation marks to help bridge the gap between words spoken and written. But as the English language evolved, many of those marks were deemed extraneous and unorthodox, unable to find a permanent place in a standardized format for writing. The oldest known document using punctuation is the Mesha Stele from 9th century BC. It used points between the words and horizontal strokes between the sense section as punctuation. E-Mail, messaging, and social media are the primary means of text-based communication for most people today. According to a Gallup survey, texting is the most...

Wisconsin sign language interpreters and those who use their services celebrated on June 26 when the bipartisan Assembly Bill 250 (AB 250) passed both houses of the state legislature. AB 250 provides for a more appropriate scope of practice for sign language interpreters in the state, gives more protections for members of the Deaf community, and helps provide the level of access that members of the Deaf community in Wisconsin deserve. AB 250 also helps attract new and retain current sign language interpreters by increasing access to sign language interpreter licensure exams in Wisconsin. “AB 250 is an example...

On the occasion of June being African-American Music Appreciation Month, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey felt it was time to honor a major jazz figure from the city. The late Al Jarreau was born as Alwin Lopez Jarreau in Milwaukee on March 12, 1940 and honed his musical talents at Lincoln High School. His father was a minister with a fine singing voice, and his mother a piano teacher and accompanist to the church choir. Jarreau continued to perform in local groups during his years as a psychology student at Ripon College, Wisconsin. He went on to tour around the...

The popular Bus Shelter Art Project from the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) kicked off its second season recently, coinciding with a secret mural painted by the internationally acclaimed street artist, MTO. Eight new pieces of artwork on bus shelters are in the process of being installed around Milwaukee. The first location, at the intersection of 27th Street and North Avenue, features artwork by Tyler “Tystarr” Copes. Seasons 414 is a colorful illustration that depicts a diverse group of individuals enjoying Wisconsin’s summer, spring, fall and winter months. “Growing up in Brooklyn, I was basically raised on public transportation...