Author: Wisconsin Public Radio

Plan to revive abandoned $1.1B expansion of I-94 East-West highway faces sharp criticism

Plan to revive abandoned $1.1B expansion of I-94 East-West highway faces sharp criticism

Posted by | Jul 18, 2020 |

Governor Tony Evers announced on July 8 that his administration would try to revive a $1.1 billion expansion of Interstate 94 west of Milwaukee, a project abandoned years ago by former Governor Scott Walker amid concerns over its cost. While the project has long been championed by Milwaukee’s business community as a missing link in southeast Wisconsin’s highway system, it’s been fought by a coalition of groups that represent people of color and environmentalists, some of whom said that they would fight Evers’ plan the way they fought Walker’s. Governor Evers, who ran for governor in 2018 on a...

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Common Council unanimously approves mandatory mask ordinance for Milwaukee starting July 16

Common Council unanimously approves mandatory mask ordinance for Milwaukee starting July 16

Posted by | Jul 14, 2020 |

The Milwaukee Common Council unanimously approved a mandatory mask ordinance on July 13 for public spaces in the city as health officials continue to try to slow the spread of new coronavirus cases in Wisconsin. It is set to go into effect starting July 16, pending final approval from the mayor. In a separate unanimous vote, the council also voted to give all city residents a mask, free of charge, upon request. Masks will likely be distributed at fire and police stations, libraries, and other city and county buildings. Under the ordinance, anyone 3 and older would have to...

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Milwaukee police officer under investigation for alleged off-duty assault of two photographers

Milwaukee police officer under investigation for alleged off-duty assault of two photographers

Posted by | Jul 7, 2020 |

The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating an alleged assault of two photographers documenting protests on July 5 by an off-duty Milwaukee officer. One of the photographers, LaTasha Lux, declined to be interviewed but in a series of Facebook posts said she was confronted by the officer and his female companion outside a bar at State Street and North Old World Third Street. “What I do is I take pictures, so I took pictures, and the guy in that group did not appreciate that, and after taking a swipe after one other photographer and breaking the lens on his camera,...

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MKE Cares: City-wide ordinance would enforce mandatory mask policy in public spaces

MKE Cares: City-wide ordinance would enforce mandatory mask policy in public spaces

Posted by | Jul 7, 2020 |

Milwaukee could become the first city in Wisconsin to enforce a mandatory mask policy. Common Council members began discussing an ordinance that could require people to wear masks in public places, and in many situations, outdoors to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Wisconsin is one of only three states that does not have a mask policy. Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik said she would like to have an ordinance in place before the Common Council is on its August recess. “I want to make sure we are salvaging some of the gains that we have been able...

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Petition seeks termination of UW-Milwaukee Lecturer over social media remarks on Vanessa Guillen’s death

Petition seeks termination of UW-Milwaukee Lecturer over social media remarks on Vanessa Guillen’s death

Posted by | Jul 5, 2020 |

Thousands in Milwaukee are calling for the firing of a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee lecturer and former Wisconsin Air Guard Lt. Colonel following alleged comments on social media about the death of U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillen. The Federal Bureau of Investigation filed a criminal complaint this week alleging that Guillen had been killed by fellow soldier 20-year-old Aaron David Robinson. Guillen was last seen at Fort Hood in Texas and had been missing for months, but her family believes Guillen’s remains were recovered last week. Screenshots show UW-Milwaukee lecturer Betsy Schoeller made comments on Facebook about Guillen’s death. The...

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Police staffing levels remain flat even as Wisconsin law enforcement budgets skyrocket 60% in 30 years

Police staffing levels remain flat even as Wisconsin law enforcement budgets skyrocket 60% in 30 years

Posted by | Jun 30, 2020 |

Local government spending on law enforcement in Wisconsin has, when adjusted for inflation, increased by about 60 percent since 1986, according to a report from a public policy think tank. The report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum reviewed decades of government budget data released by the state Department of Revenue. It found Wisconsin cities’ and towns’ spending on law enforcement has risen faster than inflation and is taking up an increasingly large share of their budgets. The analysis comes as protesters and activists across Wisconsin are calling for cuts to government spending on police departments amid a national conversation...

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Knezelism of the Week