Author: Editor

Nikita Pirnach: Irpin student hopes to help his country after finishing education in Milwaukee

Return to Ukraine: This feature is part of an original Milwaukee Independent editorial series that recorded news from areas across Ukraine, including Milwaukee's sister city of Irpin, from June to July of 2023. It was the second time in the span of a year that the award-winning Wisconsin news organization traveled to the country during the war. The purpose of this journalism project was to document a humanitarian aid mission by the Milwaukee-based nonprofit, Friends of Be an Angel, and report about conditions 17 months after Russia's brutal full-scale invasion. mkeind.com/returntoukraine Like many of Ukraine’s youth, Nikita Pirnach never...

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Juneteenth 2023: A retrospective of how Milwaukee has celebrated Emancipation Day in recent years

Milwaukee is home to one of the longest held Juneteenth Day celebrations in the United States. Juneteenth, a commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, has long held profound significance in American history. June 19, 2023 marks the 52nd anniversary of the commemoration of Emancipation Day in Milwaukee. When it first began in 1971, Milwaukee was one of the first Northern cities to host such celebrations. The local parade and festivities have been organized by Northcott Neighborhood House for the past half-century. Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston,...

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CONNECT 1: Ribbon cutting ceremony inaugurates Milwaukee County’s new transit era with BRT Line

Milwaukee County celebrated the inauguration of its CONNECT 1 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on June 5, at an official ribbon cutting ceremony almost two years to the day from when the groundbreaking ceremony kicked off its construction. The special event took place at the northeast corner of Wisconsin Avenue and 27th Street, the intersection with the highest traffic density in the city. Speakers highlighted the collaborative efforts that made the BRT line a reality. “CONNECT 1 is a product of collaboration and support of many advocates and stakeholders,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “This project really hits...

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A Field of Flags 2023: Milwaukee’s War Memorial Center honors fallen soldiers with 15,015 U.S. flags

A special Memorial Day tribute took place on May 29 at Milwaukee’s Veterans Park, where the Milwaukee War Memorial Center hosted its 4th Annual Field of Flags. This year the event featured 15,015 U.S. flags, each representing a Wisconsinite who was killed in action (KIA) since World War I. The ceremony also commemorated the 50th anniversary of the return of Prisoners of War (POWs) and those Missing in Action (MIA) from North Vietnam prisons. The idea behind the Field of Flags serves as a visual reminder of the sacrifices made by servicemen and women. Since it began in 2020,...

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Milwaukee Independent earns 3 of its 11 Gridiron Awards for first-hand reporting of Ukraine War

The Milwaukee Independent earned eleven top distinctions on May 12 from the Milwaukee Press Club for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism, during the 2023 Gridiron Awards at the Pfister Hotel. The journalism honors follow multiple years of double-digit recognition for the daily news magazine, in competition against all major media outlets in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Press Club (MPC) Awards are highly prestigious, and even winning a handful of them would be considered a remarkable achievement. Founded in 1885, the Milwaukee Press Club is the oldest continuously operating press club in North America. The recognition of so many...

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