Author: Correspondent

Fourteen current college students and college-bound high school seniors will each receive a $1,000 scholarship at the 42nd annual Martin Luther King Scholarship Coalition Celebration on January 7. The program is open to the public and will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Christ Presbyterian Church, 1930 W. Walnut Street. The scholarship recipients will include students from six area congregations from Incarnation Lutheran, Immanuel Lutheran, Matters of the Heart Fellowship, New St, James United Methodist, Hephatha Lutheran, and Ascension Fellowship Church. Inspirational speaker for the celebration will be Bryanna Wade-Gardner, New St. James United Methodist Community Church, a 2017 graduate...

The Public Policy Forum’s annual analysis of data from southeast Wisconsin’s public school districts found progress on some college readiness indicators and largely positive showings on district report cards. Those results are offset, however, by discouraging results on standardized tests and continued substantial achievement gaps between students of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds. “The 2016-17 school year marked the second year in a row that 68 of the 92 school districts in southeast Wisconsin are exceeding or significantly exceeding expectations, and for the first time since the report cards’ inception, we also saw no districts in the region fail...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced over $1.3 million to assist low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families in Wisconsin. The funding is offered through HUD’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA) and will provide a combination of housing assistance and supportive services for this vulnerable population. HUD is renewing funding to the Milwaukee-based AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin for $1,339,000. “We know there’s a strong connection between health and stable housing. Having a place to call home can make a world of difference to someone who is trying to not only...

The popular west-side Irish pub is launching an indoor hydroponic garden to grow produce for use with their own pub recipes. O’Brien’s effort to focus on farm-to-table, sustainable practices involves establishing an indoor growing space in a commercial building to the east of the pub, located at 4928 W. Vliet Street. The new growing operation, inside a formerly-vacant space at 4922 West Vliet Street, can be viewed through the building’s window. Brian Eft, owner of O’Brien’s, also owns the building that will house the new growing space. “We’re thrilled to be able to augment our delicious pub food with...

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program, funded by Deerfield-based philanthropists Cal and Laurie Couillard, will issue grants to 16 Wisconsin nonprofit organizations that seek to install solar electric systems on their buildings. The 16 grants would support a total of 573 kilowatts (kW) of new solar electric projects, planned for installation in 2018. The total value of all of the solar projects would exceed $1.2 million. Solar for Good plans to issue another round of grant funding in spring 2018. A diverse group of nonprofit organizations expects to receive the solar grants, including a food pantry in Verona, an...

The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give blood or platelets now and into the new year. Last year, nearly 64,000 fewer blood and platelet donations were given through the Red Cross during the seven weeks from Thanksgiving through the first week of January than the average during the rest of the year. By taking just about an hour of time today, you can help save someone’s life within a few weeks or even days of your donation. We’re asking donors to give now to help ensure blood is available when patients need it most. Blood is...